To preface this write up, hiking in the winter is a whole different beast then in the summer. This being our first winter hike we were prepared but not prepared enough for the epic battle that was hiking Mt Baldy in the snow. Continue reading for the full review of this epic adventure.
Zac, Sean, Ryan and I went out on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to work off our large food intake and spend a day in the wilderness summiting our last of the tallest peaks in Southern California. The day started out simple enough with a quick 15 minute hike to San Antonio falls before preceding onward 4 miles to the ski lodge which marks the start of this trail. You can take the lift to the lodge to start the hike but we opted to start from the bottom.
As we progressed we realized the reconnaissance (online) that we had done had gave us faulty information about how much snow was up there. There were a lot of people at the lodge who were getting ready to ski or snowboard. We all had hiking poles and gloves though so we proceeded onward, walking up the first lift to the entrance of devils backbone.
When we arrived at devils backbone we saw some other people coming off the mountain with crampons on (which none of us had) and asked how the summit was. They informed us that they didn’t make it past the middle of devils backbone as there was a traverse that was pretty sketchy and they didn’t want to push their luck. Hearing people that were better prepared for the hike then we were tell us this was pretty scary but we ventured on. Devils backbone may not look scary in pictures but when there is fresh snow and ice on the ground it can be pretty daunting. The entire path is around 3 to 4 feet across and on either side there are pretty nice falls. While nothing like the Angels Landing Hike we did in Zion it was still pretty intimidating.
When we passed devils backbone and reached the traverse our friends had told us about we were shocked. It was like a semi circle in which you had to walk side ways on the hill for about 40 yards to reach the other side. A fall during this part of the hike could easily have resulted in serious injury but we pressed on determined to make the summit. As we progressed the ice and wind started to pick up. It was a sunny day but the wind chill factor over 10,000 feet really makes for a cold trip. As a side note: When we arrived back at the lodge it stated the temperature was 30 degrees and that was about 1500 feet of elevation lower. Our best guess for the temperature would put it at around 0 degrees with windchill factor. Anyways, along the way to the summit we passed a fellow traveler that had slid down the hill and hurt his head coming up the back side which worried us as that was the path we were taking down.
When we met up and heard the stories Zac and Sean were able to make the summit but the shear temperatures only allowed them to spend less then 5 minutes on top before heading back down. They got lost on the way back but luckily Zac had downloaded a GPS of the trail so they were able to find their way back to it after some searching. Sean also slipped on the ice and slid 40 feet into a tree, but they were determined to push on, and everyone did make it back in one piece.We pushed on and finally hit the wide open plain, desolate without trees, to protect you from the wind and with a view of the summit looming above us. It was around 2 o’clock and the sun was in a downward motion so we knew we had to act fast.
Zac and Sean took off to the summit while Ryan and I stayed back to see their progress. We talked to another two travelers that both advised us it was not a smart move to push on with the conditions, but Zac and Sean were already to far ahead to heed the warning. Ryan and I decided to heed their warnings and push back to summit the mountain another day when we were much more prepared and headed back downward. Zac and Sean were like ants on the hill during their summit push and we wished them luck and we walked back. Summiting the mountain that is within 40 minutes of our house was not worth the danger of hiking it unprepared so we headed back. After about two hours of walking we found our way to the lodge and continued down to the car to wait for Zac and Sean who were coming down the other side. After the sun set we heard some whistling and knew Zac and Sean were heading back out way.
When we got home we heard that search and rescue had to rescue two people off of the mountain the night before and were thankful that neither of them was us. Now while a winter summit on Mt Baldy is a beautiful and interesting experience, take head from our mistakes and make sure that you are prepared for the situation you are getting into. We were able to have fun and really have an exciting experience but make sure to stay safe while hiking in conditions such as these. We know we will in the future.
Make sure you check out our Mt Baldy Hike Photo Album to see some of the amazing views we experienced.
Have you done any snow hiking, let us know how it went for you in the comments.
PS: Zac was able to conquer all three of the top summits in Southern California, I will be back up on Baldy as soon as the weather clears up so I can say I have conquered that feat as well.
Related posts:
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
[...] OutdoorPros Adventure Team We Don't Just Sell Adventure We Live It Skip to content HomeAbout ← Hiking Mt. Baldy During the Winter [...]
[...] Basic Gear Review Hiking Mt Baldy During the Winter Bonita Falls Hike Gerber Crucial Multitool Review San Jancito [...]
[...] you have been following our blog you mostly likely read about our trip to Mt Baldy a few months ago, where we were surprised by the conditions and had a rough go of it. I however [...]
[...] over 5000 feet of elevation) and it is located slightly below where you park to start the summit to Mt Baldy. Once you hit Mt Baldy village you vear off to the left, drive 3 miles then you arrive at a turnout [...]
[...] a fan of getting into situations that will require survival tools (we tend to do this, read our Mt Baldy snow climb post) the Bear Grylls survival series knives are finally on the market. They include a fixed blade [...]
[...] was Zac’s third summit on Baldy and my first (second attempt though, was stopped last time because of the snow) and it was a beautiful day to make the hike. Taking the lift to the notch costs about 20 bucks, [...]