| Peak | Mt Baldy |
|---|---|
| Group | Sunday Hiking Crew (Lone Wolf on Labor Day) |
| Trailhead | Baldy Bowl |
So even though I’m part of the Sunday Hiking Crew,I had to do this one alone. My crew had already completed this one and my regular hiking partner was unavailable so…..Lone Wolfed it!
Apparently there was some kind of marathon or fun run that day. Luckily they were taking the Devils Backbone Trail, whereas I had already planned to do the Bowl. I also missed the helicopter dropping goodies at the top for them, but I heard all about it at the top.
It was a gorgeous trail and exactly the type of flora and fauna I expect to see on a hike. Not like te scrub and shadeless El Cajon Trail I practice on here in SD. But I digress. It was the first time I took my full pack (Osprey Volt 60) loaded with 45 lbs, on something this’s long. Up to that point I had been building up from 25lbs-3-5 miles to 35 lbs 7-12……
Pack felt good but I was waaaay slower than I anticipated. That……and……apparently……..there are tow OTHER ways down Baldy that I was not aware of. So,after making small talk with a few runners at the top, refueling, and the obligatory photo opp, it was time to head down……..
A MILE AND A HALF down the wrong trail, I began to notice NOTHING LOOKED like it did on the way up…… a quick check of my AllTrails app confirmed my fear. About face…….slowly I turned…….inch by agonizing inch……..Step by Step……
I gotta tell yous…(Yeah! I said “yous” and what about it?!?)…….that mistake was not only physically taxing, and morale sucking……it was mentally defeating. Knowing I had to go back UP to go down…….I recalled my training hikes on El Cajon which has an unG_dly amount of steep UPS and DOWNS both ways.
When I finally made it back to the car after the paved fire road (uber pet peeve-paved fire roads kill my knees), I just about cried tears of joy/exhaustion.
As with all hikes, I try to take something positive, and learn from mistakes.
Positive……more prep for Whitney with the added steps
I learned that MENTAL PREPAREDNESS is just as important as physical preparedness.
And ALWAYS check your route/trail and your position before heading DOWN or at all crossings. 2-3 minutes in not 1/2 hour.
