| Peak | Mt Baldy |
|---|---|
| Group | N/A |
| Trailhead | Manker Flats |
My friend Natalie and I, who met on SoCal Hiker earlier this year, hit the trail from Manker Flats at about 0600. She’s almost done with her Six, but I ventured out in April (before some of the other six were really safely hike-able), to do EBC. Thanks so much Sista for circling back to play catch-up. This morning, the weather was cool and clear. A pink cloud shroud lay over the valley below, and all was quiet. The parking lot only had a few other cars. Saw a juvenile coyote on the access road coming up, just stopped and gave me an I”m cool/you’re cool’ look. Baldy falls is still gently flowing over rocky hillside. the We took the Ski Hut Trail up. Stopped for a quick snack at the hut and shared some cranberries with the Blue Jays. Reached the summit after some climbing and steep switch-backs. Found only about ten others relaxing and sunning. As we sat, and gazed at the amazing 360 view, the fog bank below stealthy crept-up the valley below, making me glad we had chosen the Saddle for our descent. Fresh rains from the prior week have washed lots of shale rubble into the trail, but fresh spots of pink wildflowers have popped up even along the bowl edges. We saw several deer on the way up, and a lone sheep in the northeastern rift as we descended. Stopped into the Ski Lodge for some french fries on the way down before heading down the access road to the parking lot. Super fun day. Thanks Nat! Adventure on!
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