San Antonio Creek Drainage and Baldy Bowl |
I know, I know. West Baldy, Mt. Baldy’s shorter and less
sexy little sibling is an odd choice as a destination. I can see you scratching
your head and saying “maybe tag it while you’re in the Baldy neighborhood, but
West Baldy as an objective in and of itself?” And you know what? That would be
a perfectly reasonable and legitimate question to ask. In fact, normally I’d
probably be right there with ya scratching my dome. But here’s the thing.
Awhile back, a fellow by the nom de plume
Hikin’ Jim posted this damn list of 23 peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains above
8000 feet and I committed to eventually stand atop each one of them. At 9,988 feet, West Baldy is No. 2 on that
list. I’d been to the summit of Mt. Baldy on a number of occasions previously,
but West Baldy had somehow eluded me. And it was gnawing at me.
So Sunday morning, I set out from Manker Flats to finally
take care of this bit of unfinished business. Leaving the mass of cars and
humanity along Mt. Baldy Road behind, I ascended Falls Road to the perch
adjacent to San Antonio Falls and stopped briefly to appreciate the fact that
there was actually some water coming down the rugged canyon and off the cliff
face. Beyond that, I split off from the fire road and began the stiff climb up
the rugged Ski Hut Trail. As is typical with this popular trail, I encountered
lots of happy mountain folks along the way both coming from and going to
Baldy’s summit. Although I was alone on this hike, I was never alone.San Antonio Falls from Falls Road |
View Down San Antonio Canyon from Ski Hut Trail |
Ontario and Big Horn Peaks from Ski Hut Trail |
Beyond the ski hut, the trail rock-hops across the foot of Baldy bowl which, except for the spring that was flowing a bit, was bone freakin’ dry. There was not a spot of snow anywhere to be seen in the bowl, although I did encounter some patches of a white, crystalline substance as the path climbed the forested and shady western flank of the bowl. Not knowing what this substance was, and becoming fearful about its potentially dangerous properties, I hurried past it to the ridgeline leading to the top of Old Baldy.
Baldy Bowl from the Ski Hut Trail |
Sierra Club Ski Hut |
Unknown White Crystalline Substance. Very Scary. |
Ridgeline to Harwood from Ski Hut Trail |
Looking East to the Three T's |
Obligatory Summit Plaque Shot |
West Baldy from Baldy |
View Toward Baden-Powell from Saddle Between West Baldy and Baldy |
View West from Summit of West Baldy |
Clouds Boiling Up Over the Ridgeline. Awesome. |
Looking Toward Dawson and Pine from West Baldy |
Mt. Baldy from West Baldy |
Unknown Hiker Admiring the Fine Scenery |
Amazing Limber Pine on the Upper Slopes of Baldy |
Final Look Back at the Ridgeline from the Ski Hut Trail |
Rank Name Elevation
1 Mount San Antonio 10064
2 West Baldy 9988
3 Pine Mountain 9648
4 Dawson Peak 9575
5 Mount Harwood 9552
6 Mount Baden-Powell 9399
7 Throop Peak 9138
8 Mount Burnham 8997
9 Telegraph Peak 8985
10 Cucamonga Peak 8889
11 Mount Hawkins 8850
12 Ontario Peak 8693
13 Etiwanda Peak 8662
14 Thunder Mountain 8587
15 Wright Mountain 8505
16 Middle Hawkins Peak 8505
17 Bighorn Peak 8441
18 Mount Lewis 8396
19 Timber Mountain 8303
20 Mount Islip 8250
21 Mount Williamson 8244
22 Waterman Mountain 8038
23 Iron Mountain 8007
And his list of 24 Southern California peaks over 10,000
feet (http://hikinjim.blogspot.com/p/southern-california-peaks-above-10-000.html):
Rank Name Elevation
1 San
Gorgonio Mountain 11499
2 Jepson Peak 11205
3 Bighorn Mountain 10997
4 Dragon’s Head 10866
5 Anderson Peak 10840
6 San Jacinto Peak 10834
7 Charlton Peak 10806
8 San Bernardino East Peak 10691
9 Shields Peak 10680
10 Little Charlton Peak 10696
11 Jean Peak 10670
12 San Bernardino Peak 10649
13 Alto Diablo 10563
14 East Dobbs Peak 10520
15 Folly Peak 10480
16 Dobbs Peak 10459
17 Miller Peak 10400
18 Marion Mountain 10362
19 Grinnell Mountain 10284
20 Lake Peak 10161
21 Newton Drury Peak 10160
22 Ten Thousand Foot Ridge 10094
23 Mount San Antonio 10064
24 Zahniser Peak 10056
2 Jepson Peak 11205
3 Bighorn Mountain 10997
4 Dragon’s Head 10866
5 Anderson Peak 10840
6 San Jacinto Peak 10834
7 Charlton Peak 10806
8 San Bernardino East Peak 10691
9 Shields Peak 10680
10 Little Charlton Peak 10696
11 Jean Peak 10670
12 San Bernardino Peak 10649
13 Alto Diablo 10563
14 East Dobbs Peak 10520
15 Folly Peak 10480
16 Dobbs Peak 10459
17 Miller Peak 10400
18 Marion Mountain 10362
19 Grinnell Mountain 10284
20 Lake Peak 10161
21 Newton Drury Peak 10160
22 Ten Thousand Foot Ridge 10094
23 Mount San Antonio 10064
24 Zahniser Peak 10056