Another Baldy TR

TRs for the San Gabriel Mountains.
Post Reply
User avatar
hamik
Posts: 77
Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2010 2:50 pm

Post by hamik »

Hi Folks!

This weekend was so awesome that I can't restrain myself from telling you about it in the hopes that you'll check it out soon. As you all know, our local mountains were absolutely pummeled by a series of strong storms last week, and the results were truly impressive:

Image

Some skiers from the CAC in Pasadena set out on Saturday to explore the aftermath of El Niño on Mt Baldy. We left at 5 am to beat the traffic, but when one of our cars (a 4WD truck) was turned around because we didn't have chains for it, our plans were set back a bit as we parked the truck and crammed into my Toyota Corolla. Sharing the car with 4 pairs of skis, we waited for an hour in the chain-control line, which had been just five cars long twenty minutes ago. Apparently this was a modest delay compared with those later in the day.

When we arrived at Manker Flats and started up the fire road, we were a little dismayed that someone had already started to break trail. This sense of loss was quickly overwhelmed with the enormity of the snow cover:

Image

The rope might have been excessive, but since we were paranoid about the gully crossings en route to the hut and the stability of the snowpack, we brought it to belay sketchy traverses and to provide a lifeline for the first two skiers should they be caught unanchored.

We eventually caught the sole trail breaker thanks to his superb skin track and the slow going out front, and he kept us company all weekend, which was awesome. When we finally arrived at the hut, we found a very tempting sight indeed.

Image

We built a ramp on the outhouse and much fun was had for skiers and spectators alike as a series of grand crashes ensued. Here's a video of one of the less embarrassing jumps.

After a short but glorious run down the lower half of the bowl...

Image

...we settled into the hut with our wonderful host, Dan, and about ten other people. If you haven't experienced the San Antonio hut yet, I highly recommend it even if you're of the hard-hitting, self-reliant bivyphiliac variety; I certainly am, but I loved it. It is more charming than the several European alpine huts I've stayed at, but perhaps that's because one doesn't expect such a gem in our backyard here in Los Angeles.

Propelled by oatmeal and alpenglow...

Image

...we moved up the right side of the bowl early Sunday morning and topped out about an hour and a half later after hitting some tricky snow right below the summit plateau.

Image

On top we found an unusual snowdrift which does not seem to form often on Baldy:

Image

We dug caves in it, where we ate our lunch, and we all found ourselves wishing we had time to sleep on top. If you do, get up there! How often do you get the chance to sleep in a snow cave on top of Mt Baldy?

The descent was exhilarating. I'm a pretty mediocre skier and was initially quite intimidated by a chute suggested for the descent (as can be seen in this picture)

Image

but after we ski cut it and it didn't slide, we enjoyed an unequaled and epic descent through this chute into the middle of the bowl, where we ripped up plumes of powder at over 40 mph. Incredible.

Image

The descent below the ski hut wasn't quite as memorable, but we skied it on excellent cover all the way to the car.
User avatar
Ze Hiker
Posts: 1432
Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2008 7:14 pm

Post by Ze Hiker »

awesome!!!
User avatar
mve
Posts: 414
Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 12:53 pm

Post by mve »

Man that's bad ass! WOW!
User avatar
gregp909
Posts: 80
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:07 am

Post by gregp909 »

Nice pics, I am totally jealous. Fresh tracks down Baldy, snow cave lunches. . .freakin' awesome!!!
User avatar
gregp909
Posts: 80
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:07 am

Post by gregp909 »

Snap. . .I forgot the most important thing. . .ski jumping the Sierra Club outhouse! :lol:

Sweet video.
User avatar
EManBevHills
Posts: 387
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2007 12:40 am

Post by EManBevHills »

Great pix. Absolutely Fabulous!
User avatar
He219
Posts: 386
Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2007 11:18 pm

Post by He219 »

Nice TR, saw your tracks down the bowl!
User avatar
Sam Page
Posts: 267
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2009 10:59 am

Post by Sam Page »

Nice report, hamik. Thanks for posting. Incidentally, I was attempting Mt. Williamson when you were there in December. I parked near your car at the Shepherd's Pass trailhead and then continued in a 4WD vehicle to the North Fork of Bairs Creek. I read your trip report somewhere.

Welcome to the board!
User avatar
mve
Posts: 414
Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 12:53 pm

Post by mve »

hamik -- I went to your picasa album (found it through your website which is awesome BTW) and I gotta tell you man -- you guys experienced an amazing two days. I can't even imagine what it felt like being there on the virgin slopes! This picture here -- http://picasaweb.google.com/hamikmukely ... 0190423474 tells it all (that's fire road!).

Unbelievable! Thanks for posting!
User avatar
hamik
Posts: 77
Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2010 2:50 pm

Post by hamik »

Thanks! It was pretty cool to be up there early on Saturday, but I came close to wetting my pants more than once. Under slightly different conditions, many of the fire road and hut trail slopes would have slid, and I was a little taken aback that so many people ventured up without avalanche beacons.
User avatar
mve
Posts: 414
Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 12:53 pm

Post by mve »

Well you are right about the avy danger -- there were couple of slopes on the Ski Hut trail where I didn't want to stay even a second longer than necessary -- of course that's just playing Russian roulette, so was the rime ice falling from the trees by the way ... and majority of the people I saw on the trail didn't even wear helmets.
User avatar
He219
Posts: 386
Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2007 11:18 pm

Post by He219 »

hamik wrote: I was a little taken aback that so many people ventured up without avalanche beacons.
These tranceivers?
Image
;)

P.s: Hires track pic emailed per request, Hamik.
User avatar
hamik
Posts: 77
Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2010 2:50 pm

Post by hamik »

The brothers just sent me this :D

Image
User avatar
He219
Posts: 386
Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2007 11:18 pm

Post by He219 »

Awesome shot, hamik!!
:D
User avatar
snmtbaldy
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2009 7:01 pm

Post by snmtbaldy »

Hi Hamik,
I enjoyed your TR.
What did Dan say about the jump? Or You did it when he was sleeping.
Keeping on posting exciting TRs.
Thanks.
Shin
User avatar
hamik
Posts: 77
Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2010 2:50 pm

Post by hamik »

I think he was pretty amused :D
Post Reply