| Peak | Mt Baldy |
|---|---|
| Group | I hiked with a group of my hiking friends |
| Trailhead | Up to the Ski Hut and back down the Devil's Backbone |
My group of friends and I are on our third peak today, Mt. Baldy. We are also doing the Adventure 3 peaks challenge in 3 months so this is the first peak for that challenge. Mt. San Antonio, aka Mt. Baldy, nicknamed this for it’s rocky top, is the first of the three saints. When the Spanish explorers came here to California, they named these three peaks after the three saints, San Antonio (St. Anthony), San Jacinto (Saint Hyacinth), and San Gorgonio (Saint Gorgonius). I am usually surprised that most people when they look at the Six Packs of Peaks shirt, they do not know that Mt. Baldy is San Antonio and usually ask me where the peak is. I always tell people I hike with that the peaks are named after these saints, because you start praying to them when you hike to the top of the mountain because they are all tough hikes. St. Anthony is the patron saint of lost items, lost people, and lost souls. You would pray to St. Anthony to help find your item or person, or find your way.
Today, I drove to Manker Flats campground in a sea of clouds on the 210 freeway, but when reaching the parking lot after the campground, the sky was clear and there was not a cloud in sight. We hiked up the Ski Hut route to the top of the peak. Beautiful views and a tough climb because it is very steep within the 3.5 miles to the top. Some people hike also because of the spiritual connection they have with nature and with this being National Trails Day, many people were on the trail to celebrate their connection with nature or focus on getting their next peak. When reaching the top and after taking pictures of the peak sign, we were on our way down to the Devil’s Backbone back down to the Notch and the parking lot, when I saw the American Flag and the candle. It looked like it was a memorial from the Hike from Heroes since it had names of officers on the stick on the flag. It is probably also a memorial to Sam, who died recently while trying to summit Mt. Baldy 1000 times this year.
So, as you go up and down Mt. Baldy, hopefully, you say something to St. Anthony, to help you find your way up and down the mountain or to help lost souls that have lost their lives on this trek to find their way. Or just be glad you found the time to take a hike outside and enjoy the day completing your next peak. #belikesam
