Thursday, May 30, 2013
Monday, May 27, 2013
Mt San Antonio, aka Mt. Baldy
On Memorial Day, May 27th, we went hiking to the top of Mt Baldy. 10+ miles, 10,064 ft elevation. This is the highest peak in LA County, but not So Cal. The hike was tough, but the height is what got to me.... its like I got vertigo at certain points. Still, what an accomplishment!!
Being our first time, we were advised to take the lift up, in order to cut out a few miles of uphill trekking. What we ended up doing, was taking the lift up, and walking down, making it a little over 10 miles, instead of 13. Also, the ski lift parking lot gave us free parking, but when it is being monitored, it is five dollars to park. This was a great alternative still, especially for those of us who did not purchase a LA County Adventure Day Pass.
The ski lift cost us $15 for a ticket up. I believe that it was $12 for a ticket down. Check the dates of operation before you go! http://www.mtbaldyskilifts.com/
Once you get to the top, veer to the left two paths, from the Lodge, and make your way up to the Devil's Backbone. The beginning of this trail is at another lift that wasn't functioning at the time, and to the left. You will be greeted by an orange warning sign. From here, the trek is difficult, scary (for me!), but great!
Hiking guide: http://www.modernhiker.com/2007/11/22/hiking-mount-san-antonio-mount-baldy-and-mount-harwood/
Full set of photos:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.858789966547.1073741830.68604167&type=1&l=e66a7ca3a3
Being our first time, we were advised to take the lift up, in order to cut out a few miles of uphill trekking. What we ended up doing, was taking the lift up, and walking down, making it a little over 10 miles, instead of 13. Also, the ski lift parking lot gave us free parking, but when it is being monitored, it is five dollars to park. This was a great alternative still, especially for those of us who did not purchase a LA County Adventure Day Pass.
The ski lift cost us $15 for a ticket up. I believe that it was $12 for a ticket down. Check the dates of operation before you go! http://www.mtbaldyskilifts.com/
Once you get to the top, veer to the left two paths, from the Lodge, and make your way up to the Devil's Backbone. The beginning of this trail is at another lift that wasn't functioning at the time, and to the left. You will be greeted by an orange warning sign. From here, the trek is difficult, scary (for me!), but great!
Hiking guide: http://www.modernhiker.com/2007/11/22/hiking-mount-san-antonio-mount-baldy-and-mount-harwood/
This is the part that scared me first, but then the ledges (which I did not a pic of) got me pretty bad at the end.
Slowly, making our way up. The key was keeping a steady, slow pace, and resting when needed. The elevation is definitely a factor to take into consideration.
At the top, there are random spots to rest at. There are random clusters of rocks scattered about, and many lean up against them and took naps (as you see here).
The main trail we took is called the Devil's Backbone. Here is the view from the top.
Full set of photos:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.858789966547.1073741830.68604167&type=1&l=e66a7ca3a3
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Fish Creek Canyon- Duarte, CA
Found this hiking spot in Duarte, CA. It is only open about 10 Saturdays a year, as it is private property owned by a mining company. Parking is available at the company's site, and they offer a van to take you past some old mines, and to the opening of the path. It is a beautiful hike, that ends at a beautiful waterfall.
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