Mt. Baldy through Baldy Bowl

Peak	Mt Baldy
Group	N/A
Trailhead	Manker Flats

We knew it was going to be a warm day and feared that the snow conditions up Baldy Bowl wouldn’t be ideal. We took the route straight to the ski hut. There was very little snow on the trail itself. And the snow that was there was very passable with just your hiking boots. At the base of the bowl, the snow was a bit icy but as the day warmed up you can tell it will turn into slush. We started our ascent up Baldy Bowl around 9:30 or so.

This was only my second attempt doing Mt. Baldy. The first time was in early January after a week of one of our heavy storms. Back then, the snow was much fresher and found the climb up the Bowl way more difficult. We had to turn around then because of time. This time around, it seemed like it was more icy than snowy which made our trip up the Bowl quicker. I didn’t have difficult with slush until the last 50 feet or so.

The rest of the hike to summit was straight forward. Didn’t need snowshoes or anything. Kept the crampons on and marched out.

This is my first summit above 10k, and so glad I did it in the winter!