Lightning Couloir is a nice small alpine route right off Baldy Road near Mount San Antonio. One can climb this route to ascend Thunder Mountain (which is otherwise relatively uninteresting by the standard route). This would offer 2487ft/758m of alpine climbing first up the relatively-broad Big Butch Wash, then up the tighter Lightning Couloir, topping out on Thunder Ridge (South), and heading north along the narrow ridge to the summit.

Lightning Couloir up Big Butch Wash

The route itself is 260m in length, ending on top of Thunder Ridge. If one was to count in the ascent from the parking area near San Antonio Falls Road at 6160ft/1878m, one would cover 500m of alpine terrain.

The route itself steepens to around 50 degrees of AI2 alpine ice or snow, depending on conditions. In ideal conditions (as cold as possible), the snow hardens to ice and is very fun and rather easy to ascend.

The primary attraction of this route is the proximity to the road. One need not go far to have a nice short alpine route under their belt by the end of the day (or by noon, rather). This also offers a more interesting and technical route by which to ascend Thunder Mountain.

Getting There

Mountain Avenue is the primary exit for Mt Baldy, off the 210 or 10 freeways.

That said, I prefer to take the 210 and exit onto Baseline. The offramp hits an intersection where you face north, with baseline heading perpendicular to your direction of travel (east-west). Make a left onto Baseline, and a right onto Padua (the next street). One takes Padua until they reach the blinking red traffic lights at the intersection with Mt Baldy Road. Make a right, and off you go.

After passing Baldy Village, Icehouse Canyon, and then Manker Flats where the road splits, you will see Big Butch Wash off to your right. Park along the road here. San Antonio Falls Road is off to the west/left.

Route Description

To reach the base of this route, simply hike up Big Butch Wash. When you come to the junction where you have the option of taking an easy, relatively-level exit to the left/north next to a small waterfall, simply head up the obvious couloir system to the front-right. There are several individual couloirs one can choose. I suggest ascending the rightmost major couloir, as this one typically seems to have less rock and debris fall. I also suggest donning your crampons close to the road during a good winter.

Google Earth - Red line is Lightning, Blue is a secondary couloir

There is a mixed band of terrain between the two avenues of approach. This was fun for a good 20ft before it becomes an exposed bushwhack with crampons on crumbling rock. This area is best avoided. The left of the two couloirs (just to the left of Lightning Couloir) is a bit safer to descend than Lightning, and it broadens out sooner, opening up to Big Butch Wash.

Looking up Lightning Couloir

If one wishes to protect this route and travel as a roped party, or simulclimb, the rock here is fractured, as typical for the San Gabriel Mountains. This area has good hard snow in the winter, and pickets should work fine. If you feel uncomfortable travelling unroped on moderate (50 degrees or so) ice and hard snow, there are some good belay ledges which offer anchors in the form of treetrunks and bushes.

Water ice is relatively-unlikely in this area. It is often limited to a veneer of ice over rock, too thin for any purchase or protection. Unfortunately, I have yet to see any ice in this immediate area that will accept any screw. One could always bash in a hook in a crack, if they felt so inclined.

Essential Gear

Absolutely Essential:
-1x standard mountaineering axe
-Crampons (preferably 12 point horizontals)
-3/4 shank or stiffer lightweight mountaineering boots (Read: La Sportiva Trangos and similar models)
-HELMET!

A helmet is VERY important, especially in the morning, and on warm days, as there are trees in this entire area, and they drop rime in the morning. Rocks rain down during warm days. I have yet to see anything larger than a golfball, but a golfball can really hurt. ;-)

If one wishes to protect this route or rappel off instead of downclimbing or climbing out via Thunder's summit, a few pickets, a set of nuts, and whatever size hex's you like would round out nicely. I find that smaller (#5 and below) curve-hexes work great in what little solid San Gabriel rock there is, instead of similar-sized nuts.

This route is northwest-facing, so while 24" pickets are best overall, 36" or other lengths typically should be fine, unless the route has melted out too far to be safe.

External Links

Baldy Notch Weather Data
Baldy Notch is subject to the same weather conditions as this area, with exception going to wind.