Baldy

So,
   Last week I again tried Mt Baldy. The weather here was good. I drove down there and it started to rain on me. I left the trailhead with Buster in tow at about 8:30am. I had decided this time due to weather to try and do the Ski Hut trail (4,000ft gain in 4.5 miles one way) up instead of the Devils Backbone (5.5 miles one way). The Ski Hut is much steeper but shorter and there are no sketchy passages that would be difficult to deal with in inclement weather and with a dog.

It was steep.

The ski hut is the halfway point from trailhead to summit. We stopped for a break.

Most of the way up I thought that was the summit. It's not. It's not even close. It's a false summit about 1,000 feet below the actual summit. 

Eventually we made it up to the top. At the top it was incredibly windy and really cold. I was wearing enough layers but I didn't bring gloves so I tried to hang out and eat but we left once I couldn't feel my hands.

A 360 degree pano of the summit.

There were a few people up there when I arrived huddled in those rock piles trying to stay out of the wind. You can barely make out San Giorgino (tallest in SoCal) and San Jacinto way off in the distance. After a quick snack we headed back down the ski hut trail. The way down was still steep and ended up being really punishing on my right knee but it was pretty.

We came across 3 white tailed deer and a family on their way up to the ski hut. Apparently you can rent it out for the night if you reserve it way ahead of time. 

It had taken me about 2:30 to get up the mountain and about 3:30 to get down due to the knee issue but I did the whole thing and now I am waiting for my knee to get normal so I can go do San Jacinto.

Ryan