On the eve of my thirty-fifth birthday I sit at my computer, tired from an afternoon hike that awakens a new beginning within. A day removed from the sad news of the passing of Sir Edmund Hillary, I have ventured into the realm of giants, having committed myself to conquering the beast in my own backyard. I have lived in the shadow of Mt San Antonio my whole life, but was unable to truly see the challenge before me until I was ready to believe. And now I believe.
I have set foot in the mountainous region of the San Gabriel’s before. As a teenager, many summer afternoons were spent strolling along shaded paths. But never very far, and never very high. As an adult, I began to see the mountains and her trails as a source for physical fitness for one who loathes the mere thought of an indoor gym. Slowly, I began to see the path in front of me stretch beyond the haze of daily life and reach into the sky above. I began to seek new destinations. That search has led me to a few insignificant local peaks, enjoyable hikes but incomparable to the summit of a mountain. A mountain that is watching from just over the ridge.
Mt San Antonio, commonly referred to as Mt Baldy, is the Los Angeles county highpoint at 10,064’. Though not a monster in the grand scheme of mountaineering, you must understand that my ambitions are proportionate to the mountain. I am a working class fellow, but have a keen interest in many a thing. Climbing the highest mountains in the world isn’t one of those interests. However, there is the romantic notion of the journey to the summit that has captured my soul and driven me to this most humble of quests. A winter summit of Mt Baldy.
Today marked the beginning of that quest. I was fortunate enough to be able to work only half a day this day, Friday January 11th. The previous weekend saw a three day storm pound southern California, with predictions for snow in the mountains ranging from five to ten feet. As a result, I thought this might be the perfect opportunity to make a training hike in the snow. My first hike in the snow! Being the working class fellow that I am my gear is a collection of pieces thrown together from what I have or what I have been able to purchase at discount. I am not an REI advertisement, that’s for sure. But, how I look is not important to me. Being warm and comfortable is. I rented a pair of MSR snowshoes at Sport Chalet for $7.00 a day, packed my gear into the biggest backpack I currently own, and set out with my Sherpa guide, my one year old Akita/Australian Shepherd mix puppy. Her name is Sam.
We arrived at Manker Flats, just below the ski lift parking lot in early afternoon, with the intention of simply walking the fire road that leads to the San Antonio Falls and beyond. Since this was a trial run, I did not find it necessary to try and keep of track of any trails and where I was going. I have hiked the fire road before (in the summer) and felt confident it would be a good training ground for my purposes. I was right! The storm had left snow all the way down to the village below us, so the start of Falls Road was thickly covered. Just past the gate, I put on my rented snowshoes and Sam and I began our hike. All of the reports I have read over the past few months with regard to modern snowshoes are pretty accurate. I did not find that I had to Frankenstein my walk in order to get a nice steady cadence. We hiked for a couple of hours, hit our turn around time, then headed back. I pushed through some icy stuff and even some powdery stuff my trusty guide was sinking into. The snowshoes worked great and I have to say I’m hooked. And on the car ride home I had to reflect on what this means to me.
I am a beginner, a newbie, a noob. I find myself going to SP on a daily basis to soak in the advice (and humor) of the forums. I check for deals on equipment, and continually talk myself out of crap I really don’t need (or will want to carry). I know how to walk, and am pretty confident about hiking when the weather is warm. I can say without embarrassment that climbing Baldy in the snow will be a challenge for me, one that I will need to work at. I do not find it beyond my reach, but I want to do it right the first time so I enjoy myself. I’m dragging a human friend along with me next time, maybe as soon as next weekend.
There is something about the air, the sun and the sky. The mountain kinda talks to you when you are up there. In snow, it kinda whispers. I don’t pretend that my experiences will grow mythical proportions like those of Sir Edmund, but I find it comforting to know that he has passed on a great tradition of venturing into the realm of giants. For me, this is just a new beginning…
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San Gabriel Mountains > Mount San Antonio (Mount Baldy) > A New Beginning
