There is no place to post this kind of questions, so hopefully it does not get removed...

it is somewhat gear oriented but more on the lines on how to get there and a few other questions about the trip..

First off, what kind of weather should i expect at Mt. Baldy in the next couple of weeks... and therefore, what kind of gear should i get?

Is there water sources close, on the trail, or at camp?

where could i camp?

any good resources as to getting information on planning this trip?

thanks so much guys...

also, trail runners or boots? (i think i know the answer already :D)

There is a river at the base, its an easy hike but not so easy to run. Check wunderground.com for weather. It gets cold fast so bring layers, I have been half naked at the top wondering why I didnt pack more, either way its an easy short trot back down.

Roberto, this questions belongs in the "Hiking Partners / Trip Announcements" section below. It's a good place for trip planning related questions.

That said, If I recall, Mt. Baldy has 2 general places to camp. The ski hut (about half way to summit) and the car camping area near the parking lot. See this link for details about the car campground (look at the part that says "general description" for more details about this campground):
http://activities.wildernet.com/pages/activity.cfm?actid=050103IO*53390cg

I don't know the contact information about the ski hut...someone will have to help you out there.

There isn't any real good "backpacking" opportunities on mt Baldy because its a relatively short hike, easily done in 5 hrs (in the summer) if you're in decent shape. I've only done one overnighter on mt. baldy and that was in the winter. I couldn't find any information about what was prohibited and what wasn't, so my buddy and I just setup camp in the snow, about 200yds below the summit

I don't know what snow conditions are in CA, or on that mountain right now, but trail runners should be fine so long as they are waterproof, or you are wearing goretex socks. I've worn trail runners a lot on that mountain, but in the summer months. I tend to get cold feet easily, so I use an insulated boot if there's still snow on the ground.

Water seems to be availabe in the car camp based on the description. There isn't much accessible water on the actual trail. But again, its a 5hr trip, so you don't really need to resupply. Bring 2 Liters and you'll be fine.


Don't forget to bring an adventure pass for parking (can be bought at big 5, rei etc)


Also, if you decide to do it as a day hike, but for some reason am running out of day light, you can take the ski lift back down (accessible via the devil's backbone trail)

Edited by Konrad1013 on 05/06/2011 13:39:27 MDT.

Hey roberto,

My educated guess about Mt. Baldy is that in a couple of weeks there should not be any snow or if any very minimal and at the very top (I can see it from my window and it has minimal snow now). As for camping, I am not so sure you want to camp like Konrad said, people normally use it for day hikes but from what i have found there are no restrictions to camping. Not to sure about water sources but I know that there is no water the closer you get to the top (why its called mt. baldy...)

I miss the days when I could look out a window and see snow capped Mt. Baldy, and San Gorgonio. Only benefit to working in downtown Los Angeles. Sam, where do you live and where are you in school now?

i got this picture from a friend

Huh you can't see mt. baldy from LA? (Possibly the smog?) Currently i live in Irvine and go to UCI and am about to finish my first year.

Roberto
You might want to check out this guy's blog- he's been doing some hikes in the Baldy area recently.

http://pasadenahiker.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/mt-baldy-via-manker-flat-trail-up-and-devils-backbone-down/

Roberto,

On May 21, the Tour of California professional bicycle stage race finishes in Baldy Village, eta 3:45 PM. This means some/all access roads will be closed by the California Highway Patrol sometime the night of May 20 or early May 21. Plan to avoid driving to/from Baldy in this time frame.

I am looking at Baldy now from a distance - from Pasadena - and still a bit of snow on top, but given the time of year, snow should be gone soon. In mid to late May, days can be warm (65 to 80), but nights can be cool, weather from Pacific Ocean or the desert keeps local mountains cool at night in May, but not down to freezing.

so you are pretty much saying that i shouldn't try it on the 21st?

that is a good link...

thanks a lot

Sam, I used to work on the 48th floor of an office building (one of the skyscrapers in pic below). On the rare occasional smog-free and clear day, you could see everything. Made concentration on work quite hard. I used to lie to myself, by saying that every day I spent in my cubicle, I was actually acclimating for whatever climbing trip was coming up on the weekend :)

(I hijacked the photo from another forum)


Roberto,

Baldy is a great mountain...great to train on for bigger/harder things. And in my experience, everyone's always super friendly on that mountain

My favorite is to treat it like a loop-hike, from the ski hut trail on the way up (steeper/faster) and the devil's backbone back down (gradual/longer). Avoid the devils backbone if there's snow and ice (doubtful around this time) as it can be quite exposed at some points. Also avoid the Baldy Bowl if you are inexperienced or don't have the right equipment (rockfall is common)

The turn off to start the ski hut trail is unmarked and can be easily missed if you're not looking for it, so if you're interested in it try to do some online research prior, and ask people you see the morning of your hike. Here's some info I just dug up online

"From the upper end of the Manker Flats campground, notice Falls Road on the north side of the street. There are a couple of porti-potties on the left. Start walking up the paved road past the locked vehicle gate. In 0.6 mile you reach a sharp hairpin turn to the right where you have an excellent view of San Antonio Falls, continue up the road, which is now dirt. In another 0.3 miles after you round the bend heading east, you'll see if narrow path on the left angling up the slope. This is the Baldy Bowl Trail, more popularly, the Ski Hut Trail. The unmarked junction is easy to miss, so watch for it carefully. More than a few hikers have missed it. Start up the narrow trail as cuts back and begins to ascend north along the east flank of upper San Antonio Canyon. Your expanding views are striking. Occasionally you'll get a glimpse of the green Sierra Club ski hut high up the canyon. After 2.5 miles from the start, you reach the ski hut, first built in 1937. If guests are using the cabin, they may invite you in to top off your canteen with the spring-fed tap flowing directly into the kitchen."


I just took a peek at Jennifer's link..def some good info about current conditions. Check out his post prior as well for a picture of the ski hut trailhead turnoff. If I didn't know any better, it seems to me that he was starting to suffer from altitude sickness on his hike. It's definitely possible on Baldy. I've felt it there myself, but only after staying near the summit for an extended period of time. Just be aware of how your body feels while you're up there.

Edited by Konrad1013 on 05/06/2011 18:48:18 MDT.

Roberto,

I would avoid Baldy Village May 20 and 21. The Glendora Mountain Road/Baldy Village saddle road will close very early May 21, most likely the night before. CHP will close Mt. Baldy Road - the main road to Baldy Village - sometime on the 21st or possibly late on the 20th, at Baldy Village or below, maybe as low as the base. There are no other access roads.

FWIW, I would not overnight backpack at Badly; best for day hikes, in my opinion.

When I Lived in La Crescenta ,Ca we use to hike up Pickens canyon quite a bit and summit at the top.I always thought a challenging hike would start at the base of the angles crest mountains in the big Tujunga canyon hike to the summit and hike the mountains crest to Mt Baldy. The hike would be a challenge.

Terry

Edited by socal-nomad on 05/07/2011 08:59:10 MDT.