Snowslogger - Dec 7, 2023 1:56 pm Date Climbed: May 2, 1987
Nice Hike Up - Wine on Top
Meant to do this as a ski but instead did it as a hike, which was nice. Someone left a half box of wine at the summit, which I enjoyed a taste of. Is this a Socal thing?
mgp5000 - Aug 11, 2023 2:59 pm Date Climbed: Aug 3, 2023
Baldy Bowl Loop
Hiked up the Ski Hut Trail, and returned via Devil's Backbone. Big day with beautiful weather.
fdrsv - May 24, 2023 7:25 pm Date Climbed: May 9, 2023
All snow above the ski hut
Aim to summit before 8am for optimal snow on the way down
katelyn.condra - Jul 3, 2022 5:04 pm Date Climbed: Feb 2, 2021
first use of crampons
Went here to practice using crampons prior to summiting Pico De Orizaba! met a friendly mountaineer at the trailhead and we went to the top together. Very windy at the top. Beautiful climb.
Gimli160 - Jun 19, 2022 7:46 pm Date Climbed: Jul 24, 2021
san antonio via punchbowl
overnight trip
MooTheCow - Jun 3, 2022 2:29 pm Date Climbed: Sep 14, 2018
Avoided the crowds
Went up on a Friday afternoon and only saw one other person on the trails that day despite the excellent weather. I reached the top at 5:45 pm and had the entire summit to myself.
JRaphaelson - Nov 1, 2021 5:06 pm Date Climbed: Nov 1, 2021
Baldy and Harwood
Fun loop and pleasant views. Not the Sierra, but not a bad place for a day hike.
hgrapid - Jun 28, 2021 8:35 am Date Climbed: Jun 26, 2021
Crowded going down
Lots of folks coming up as I was going down. Went up Devil's Backbone and down the main trail
dabailey - Jun 11, 2021 3:20 pm Date Climbed: May 22, 2017
Baldy Notch/Devil's Backbone
Nice hike.
xorina123 - Dec 3, 2020 5:29 pm Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2020
Woo Hoo!!!
Simply AMAZING!!!!! This was so beautiful. It was hard but so amazing. The Devil's Backbone was amazing as well. Glad I brought my trekking poles.
technicolorNH - Nov 9, 2020 10:01 pm Date Climbed: Nov 9, 2020
Ski Hut Trail
The road up just past the Icehouse Canyon junction was supposedly full of black ice so tow truck drivers were recommending I park below that. So I walked the road from the 4800 foot elevation line to Manker Flats, then walked the road up to the beginning of the trail, right to the summit. Three hours and fifty minutes to the summit, which was wreathed in cloud with near zero visibility. A German chap who passed me near the summit said this was his 147th summit of the mountain. I really wanted to explore more of the ridge but I burnt too much daylight walking the road, the freezing fog made it bitterly cold (I did walk up in a short sleeve shirt), and the poor visibility made it unwise to tarry so I went back the way I came. Had to buy new microspikes at REI when I got back to civ because my old ones died on the ascent.
GlennD - Jun 30, 2020 9:07 pm Date Climbed: Jun 30, 2020
Baldy & West Baldy
Up Bear Canyon, down Baldy Bowl.
tMaze05 - Jun 17, 2020 11:11 am Date Climbed: Nov 18, 2018
Mt. Baldy
First of the Socal peaks for me. Good hike but crowded.
clarkr - Feb 24, 2020 9:54 pm Date Climbed: Feb 23, 2020
Mt. Baldy Climb
Great weather, crampons needed in some areas. Nine hours up
and back. Great Day.
PeakBlazer - Feb 23, 2020 9:00 pm Date Climbed: Feb 2, 2020
Mt San Antonio
Windy and snowy
huskertriguy - Oct 29, 2019 11:11 pm Date Climbed: Oct 24, 2019
Manker Flat
This was part of a trip that involved Santiago Peak, San Gorgonio Mountain, and Mt. San Antonio. I had just about 48 hours to get in as much as possible before spending a couple days with a couple friends to meet their new baby, and I decided to make the most of it.
I slept toward San Bernardino and spent a leisurely morning checking out a couple other stops along the way to Manker Flat. So by the time I actually got to Manker Flat, it was around 1 in the afternoon. No worries, except the Santa Ana winds that were not present on San Gorgonio certainly made their presence known today.
There were plenty of folks walking the road leading to the falls. Unfortunately, I walked a full 1/2-mile past the junction up to Mt. San Antonio because I was zoned out. I doubled back and headed up the trail once I realized my mistake, irritated I had cost myself the time with an already late start.
From the junction to the summit, I encountered roughly the same number of people as I did on San Gorgonio the day prior. So if it felt a little more crowded, it was only because I met the same number of people in about 1/4 the distance. The last person I met was right around the ski hut, and from that point to the summit and all the way back down I saw no one.
From 8800' up there is no shortage of options for paths, and the most direct route is not always obvious. Keep an eye out for the skiers' posts to guide your way (the first one is at about 9100'). Not that most of these other paths would lead one astray -- at least, I do not think they would -- but it will save you any second-guessing.
From about 9200' up West Baldy imposes itself on the skyline to your left. Yet this is not Mt. San Antonio, which is at that point closer than it seems. You will not see the summit until you are about right on top of it.
At the summit the Santa Ana winds really picked up to the point of being unpleasant. I was really ready to descend about as soon as I got there, but West Baldy's proximity in height to Mt. San Antonio seemed too close for comfort to me, so I took the 10 minutes to trundle on over to its summit, where I took a short break behind some rocks as shelter from the winds.
I was quite shocked that I received no cell signal at all on these 2 summits, given their close proximity to the megalopolis below and the fact that I have received signal on far more remote peaks. Alas I could not alert my friends to warn them I would be a few hours later than planned, so I did my best to make good time back to the car. I made it back right around sunset, and most all other vehicles had cleared out.
It was beautiful up here; I could see how this would be a mainstay for L.A. hikers and skiers.
eferesen - Oct 13, 2019 9:38 pm Date Climbed: May 5, 2019
Nice Windy Day
Wife and I are always in this area before summer kicks in. Lovely day to hike and the devil's backbone was amazing
Igooooor - Oct 1, 2019 10:56 am Date Climbed: Sep 28, 2019
Success!
Used hikerguy.com guide for the notch -> devils backbone -> ski hut loop. Got above marine layer to enjoy the sea of white clouds. Took 6 hours and 25 minutes. Very windy. Trekking poles a lifesaver.
ChaseWagoner - Aug 6, 2019 12:52 am Date Climbed: Aug 4, 2019
Start early!
I was on the summit on 2019-08-04 roughly between 10:25am - 10:45am, and didn't see anything amiss. Maybe 30-35 people sitting or coming through. About half an hour later, a helicopter began circling the summit, and according to another hiker I passed during descent, landed at the summit. I wonder what went wrong, and in such a hurry - 30 minutes from when I left, minus flight time for the helicopter.
---
I used Cris Hazzard's guide here:
https://hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/mt-baldy-hike/
Counterclockwise, up Devil's Backbone, down the Baldy Bowl/Ski Hut trail. Leaving the trailhead, there were many other hikers, but nearly all went clockwise. I enjoyed the relative quiet of hiking counterclockwise, only passing a few hikers on the way up. (On the way down, I passed many hikers still on their way up the Baldy Bowl/Ski Hut trail.)
Arrive early, and afford yourself the luxury to choose a parking spot. Park somewhere that will be shaded in 7-8 hours, under the trees on the "southbound" side of the center median. I arrived at about 06:45 and parked on the northbound side. The car was an oven when I returned to it.
Passed the trailhead just before 7am. I would have liked to arrive an hour earlier, just after sunrise; it would have been light enough to see, but cooler for that extra hour.
Ascending counterclockwise was far more gradual, and easier on the way up. The views were very nice just after the Baldy Notch, before the trail it takes the westward turn. This portion, a ski slope, was steeper than the earlier distances, but manageable. The strong cool winds were very welcome.
A short distance after the left turn (and after the Turkey Shoot rejoins your path), the true "backbone" begins, and the path narrows considerably. A few feet wide, there's plenty of flat ground to stand on, but be deliberate.
Where the trail switches from atop the ridge to the southwest-ish side of the ridge (look at 3D Google Maps along the trail to see what I mean), there is a fork. The right path will have you ascend a few hundred feet to Mt. Harwood, before descending to re-join the trail. I saw one group go that way and almost made the same choice, but opted for the flatter left path. I'm happy I did so, as it saved some energy. Maybe the views from the top of the right path are worth it though (I can't say). Note that this is clearly pointed out in Cris's guide; I forgot that particular instruction.
After a while, you come to the last section of the backbone, which is considerably steep and seems rather unending (though it isn't actually that long). It was a slog to reach the top, and my calves were burning toward the end.
I reached the summit around 10:20. Photographed the plaque, etc., and enjoyed sitting on a rock for lunch.
After 20-30 minutes atop Los Angeles County, I began descent via the Baldy Bowl trail. Staying on track wasn't difficult. There are some forks, but usually merely different paths around a particular feature, and they join again within a few yards. Descent was pretty steep, and much of the trail is loose pebbles or dirt, so I slid small distances a dozen or so times. Otherwise, the descent felt pretty monotonous. I felt my calves sometimes quivering on the descent. I've been training for climbing stairs, but need to add significant calf exercise to the mix.
Unfortunately most of this trail is fairly protected from wind (it is in a bowl, after all), and the heat set in to make it muggy and generally less enjoyable than the cool breeze on the backbone ascent. For this reason, next time I hike Baldy I'll likely go clockwise around the loop, taking advantage of the cool morning in the Bowl, and hopefully the cold wind on the descent to counteract the sun and afternoon temperature. In my focus on getting back down, I didn't drink as much water on the descent, and ended up with a sudden headache about two hours after leaving the trailhead (well back into low LA elevation); I suspect I was dehydrated. I need to be more diligent about water consumption.
I didn't note the time when I reached the trailhead, but I was in town an hour away from the campground before 2pm, so it must have been just before 1pm, putting the total time at roughly 6 hours. I question that, if only because it's an hour shy of estimates made by far more experienced hikers. Anyway, it was good to be back. I brought frozen sports drinks that had all but thawed, making an excellent icy drink.
This hike was difficult, but well worth the time and effort.
T. White - Aug 3, 2019 8:16 pm Date Climbed: Aug 3, 2019
Milestones
This is the 500th climber's log entry for Baldy! I've lived in Southern California my whole life, and never made it to the top until today. Interesting groups of people taking this hike on a sunny (hot) Saturday, but not nearly as crowded as, say, South Sister on a *weekday.* Fantastic clouds everywhere. There was still one patch of snow near the summit... in August!
Snowslogger - Dec 7, 2023 1:56 pm Date Climbed: May 2, 1987
Nice Hike Up - Wine on TopMeant to do this as a ski but instead did it as a hike, which was nice. Someone left a half box of wine at the summit, which I enjoyed a taste of. Is this a Socal thing?
mgp5000 - Aug 11, 2023 2:59 pm Date Climbed: Aug 3, 2023
Baldy Bowl LoopHiked up the Ski Hut Trail, and returned via Devil's Backbone. Big day with beautiful weather.
fdrsv - May 24, 2023 7:25 pm Date Climbed: May 9, 2023
All snow above the ski hutAim to summit before 8am for optimal snow on the way down
katelyn.condra - Jul 3, 2022 5:04 pm Date Climbed: Feb 2, 2021
first use of cramponsWent here to practice using crampons prior to summiting Pico De Orizaba! met a friendly mountaineer at the trailhead and we went to the top together. Very windy at the top. Beautiful climb.
Gimli160 - Jun 19, 2022 7:46 pm Date Climbed: Jul 24, 2021
san antonio via punchbowlovernight trip
MooTheCow - Jun 3, 2022 2:29 pm Date Climbed: Sep 14, 2018
Avoided the crowdsWent up on a Friday afternoon and only saw one other person on the trails that day despite the excellent weather. I reached the top at 5:45 pm and had the entire summit to myself.
JRaphaelson - Nov 1, 2021 5:06 pm Date Climbed: Nov 1, 2021
Baldy and HarwoodFun loop and pleasant views. Not the Sierra, but not a bad place for a day hike.
hgrapid - Jun 28, 2021 8:35 am Date Climbed: Jun 26, 2021
Crowded going downLots of folks coming up as I was going down. Went up Devil's Backbone and down the main trail
dabailey - Jun 11, 2021 3:20 pm Date Climbed: May 22, 2017
Baldy Notch/Devil's BackboneNice hike.
xorina123 - Dec 3, 2020 5:29 pm Date Climbed: Aug 8, 2020
Woo Hoo!!!Simply AMAZING!!!!! This was so beautiful. It was hard but so amazing. The Devil's Backbone was amazing as well. Glad I brought my trekking poles.
technicolorNH - Nov 9, 2020 10:01 pm Date Climbed: Nov 9, 2020
Ski Hut TrailThe road up just past the Icehouse Canyon junction was supposedly full of black ice so tow truck drivers were recommending I park below that. So I walked the road from the 4800 foot elevation line to Manker Flats, then walked the road up to the beginning of the trail, right to the summit. Three hours and fifty minutes to the summit, which was wreathed in cloud with near zero visibility. A German chap who passed me near the summit said this was his 147th summit of the mountain. I really wanted to explore more of the ridge but I burnt too much daylight walking the road, the freezing fog made it bitterly cold (I did walk up in a short sleeve shirt), and the poor visibility made it unwise to tarry so I went back the way I came. Had to buy new microspikes at REI when I got back to civ because my old ones died on the ascent.
GlennD - Jun 30, 2020 9:07 pm Date Climbed: Jun 30, 2020
Baldy & West BaldyUp Bear Canyon, down Baldy Bowl.
tMaze05 - Jun 17, 2020 11:11 am Date Climbed: Nov 18, 2018
Mt. BaldyFirst of the Socal peaks for me. Good hike but crowded.
clarkr - Feb 24, 2020 9:54 pm Date Climbed: Feb 23, 2020
Mt. Baldy ClimbGreat weather, crampons needed in some areas. Nine hours up
and back. Great Day.
PeakBlazer - Feb 23, 2020 9:00 pm Date Climbed: Feb 2, 2020
Mt San AntonioWindy and snowy
huskertriguy - Oct 29, 2019 11:11 pm Date Climbed: Oct 24, 2019
Manker FlatThis was part of a trip that involved Santiago Peak, San Gorgonio Mountain, and Mt. San Antonio. I had just about 48 hours to get in as much as possible before spending a couple days with a couple friends to meet their new baby, and I decided to make the most of it.
I slept toward San Bernardino and spent a leisurely morning checking out a couple other stops along the way to Manker Flat. So by the time I actually got to Manker Flat, it was around 1 in the afternoon. No worries, except the Santa Ana winds that were not present on San Gorgonio certainly made their presence known today.
There were plenty of folks walking the road leading to the falls. Unfortunately, I walked a full 1/2-mile past the junction up to Mt. San Antonio because I was zoned out. I doubled back and headed up the trail once I realized my mistake, irritated I had cost myself the time with an already late start.
From the junction to the summit, I encountered roughly the same number of people as I did on San Gorgonio the day prior. So if it felt a little more crowded, it was only because I met the same number of people in about 1/4 the distance. The last person I met was right around the ski hut, and from that point to the summit and all the way back down I saw no one.
From 8800' up there is no shortage of options for paths, and the most direct route is not always obvious. Keep an eye out for the skiers' posts to guide your way (the first one is at about 9100'). Not that most of these other paths would lead one astray -- at least, I do not think they would -- but it will save you any second-guessing.
From about 9200' up West Baldy imposes itself on the skyline to your left. Yet this is not Mt. San Antonio, which is at that point closer than it seems. You will not see the summit until you are about right on top of it.
At the summit the Santa Ana winds really picked up to the point of being unpleasant. I was really ready to descend about as soon as I got there, but West Baldy's proximity in height to Mt. San Antonio seemed too close for comfort to me, so I took the 10 minutes to trundle on over to its summit, where I took a short break behind some rocks as shelter from the winds.
I was quite shocked that I received no cell signal at all on these 2 summits, given their close proximity to the megalopolis below and the fact that I have received signal on far more remote peaks. Alas I could not alert my friends to warn them I would be a few hours later than planned, so I did my best to make good time back to the car. I made it back right around sunset, and most all other vehicles had cleared out.
It was beautiful up here; I could see how this would be a mainstay for L.A. hikers and skiers.
eferesen - Oct 13, 2019 9:38 pm Date Climbed: May 5, 2019
Nice Windy DayWife and I are always in this area before summer kicks in. Lovely day to hike and the devil's backbone was amazing
Igooooor - Oct 1, 2019 10:56 am Date Climbed: Sep 28, 2019
Success!Used hikerguy.com guide for the notch -> devils backbone -> ski hut loop. Got above marine layer to enjoy the sea of white clouds. Took 6 hours and 25 minutes. Very windy. Trekking poles a lifesaver.
ChaseWagoner - Aug 6, 2019 12:52 am Date Climbed: Aug 4, 2019
Start early!I was on the summit on 2019-08-04 roughly between 10:25am - 10:45am, and didn't see anything amiss. Maybe 30-35 people sitting or coming through. About half an hour later, a helicopter began circling the summit, and according to another hiker I passed during descent, landed at the summit. I wonder what went wrong, and in such a hurry - 30 minutes from when I left, minus flight time for the helicopter.
---
I used Cris Hazzard's guide here:
https://hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/mt-baldy-hike/
Counterclockwise, up Devil's Backbone, down the Baldy Bowl/Ski Hut trail. Leaving the trailhead, there were many other hikers, but nearly all went clockwise. I enjoyed the relative quiet of hiking counterclockwise, only passing a few hikers on the way up. (On the way down, I passed many hikers still on their way up the Baldy Bowl/Ski Hut trail.)
Arrive early, and afford yourself the luxury to choose a parking spot. Park somewhere that will be shaded in 7-8 hours, under the trees on the "southbound" side of the center median. I arrived at about 06:45 and parked on the northbound side. The car was an oven when I returned to it.
Passed the trailhead just before 7am. I would have liked to arrive an hour earlier, just after sunrise; it would have been light enough to see, but cooler for that extra hour.
Ascending counterclockwise was far more gradual, and easier on the way up. The views were very nice just after the Baldy Notch, before the trail it takes the westward turn. This portion, a ski slope, was steeper than the earlier distances, but manageable. The strong cool winds were very welcome.
A short distance after the left turn (and after the Turkey Shoot rejoins your path), the true "backbone" begins, and the path narrows considerably. A few feet wide, there's plenty of flat ground to stand on, but be deliberate.
Where the trail switches from atop the ridge to the southwest-ish side of the ridge (look at 3D Google Maps along the trail to see what I mean), there is a fork. The right path will have you ascend a few hundred feet to Mt. Harwood, before descending to re-join the trail. I saw one group go that way and almost made the same choice, but opted for the flatter left path. I'm happy I did so, as it saved some energy. Maybe the views from the top of the right path are worth it though (I can't say). Note that this is clearly pointed out in Cris's guide; I forgot that particular instruction.
After a while, you come to the last section of the backbone, which is considerably steep and seems rather unending (though it isn't actually that long). It was a slog to reach the top, and my calves were burning toward the end.
I reached the summit around 10:20. Photographed the plaque, etc., and enjoyed sitting on a rock for lunch.
After 20-30 minutes atop Los Angeles County, I began descent via the Baldy Bowl trail. Staying on track wasn't difficult. There are some forks, but usually merely different paths around a particular feature, and they join again within a few yards. Descent was pretty steep, and much of the trail is loose pebbles or dirt, so I slid small distances a dozen or so times. Otherwise, the descent felt pretty monotonous. I felt my calves sometimes quivering on the descent. I've been training for climbing stairs, but need to add significant calf exercise to the mix.
Unfortunately most of this trail is fairly protected from wind (it is in a bowl, after all), and the heat set in to make it muggy and generally less enjoyable than the cool breeze on the backbone ascent. For this reason, next time I hike Baldy I'll likely go clockwise around the loop, taking advantage of the cool morning in the Bowl, and hopefully the cold wind on the descent to counteract the sun and afternoon temperature. In my focus on getting back down, I didn't drink as much water on the descent, and ended up with a sudden headache about two hours after leaving the trailhead (well back into low LA elevation); I suspect I was dehydrated. I need to be more diligent about water consumption.
I didn't note the time when I reached the trailhead, but I was in town an hour away from the campground before 2pm, so it must have been just before 1pm, putting the total time at roughly 6 hours. I question that, if only because it's an hour shy of estimates made by far more experienced hikers. Anyway, it was good to be back. I brought frozen sports drinks that had all but thawed, making an excellent icy drink.
This hike was difficult, but well worth the time and effort.
T. White - Aug 3, 2019 8:16 pm Date Climbed: Aug 3, 2019
MilestonesThis is the 500th climber's log entry for Baldy! I've lived in Southern California my whole life, and never made it to the top until today. Interesting groups of people taking this hike on a sunny (hot) Saturday, but not nearly as crowded as, say, South Sister on a *weekday.* Fantastic clouds everywhere. There was still one patch of snow near the summit... in August!