Sara M, Frank and i did a day climb of an "unnamed chute" in the center of the Baldy bowl. This was my first climb directly up to the rocks. Until now i had always climbed the expansive east bowl or the traverse along the west bowl. Since i had gotten some steep snow climbs in the last couple years i guess it was about time!
Sara has done the chutes many times and chose this one to lead and she provided a great lead. We had been on the bowl 4 days prior on Monday and could definitely tell how the snow had firmed up and become consolidated in that time. As we headed up there were a few climbers and skiers way off to our right heading up the east bowl.
We topped out on a 40-45 degree slope of perfect neve snow and got to enjoy the amazing plateau of snow on the summit from the recent storms. It was a perfect first climb of this degree on Baldy and the fondant frosting on the cake was getting to see that plateau. How beautiful and amazing! On the way down the east bowl we ran into Fritz and Taco making their way up. Good to see you! At the hut we ran into Kenny who had just climbed RR and rode the bowl down. Hard climb, cool descent!!
The hike down from the hut was uneventful though we were disappointed to see a plow had come in during the day and plowed the fire road. So much for the beautiful snowy approach.
btw... if anyone knows a name for the chute please let me know.
the chute we took was straight up the middle.
heading up, Sara, me, Frank
in the chute
me and Sara summiteering
Sara testing the cornice with her axe
I'm still without a camera, so all pix courtesy of Sara. Rest here: http://picasaweb.google.com/ryan.norma8 ... Baldy12910#
Thank you for sharing Norma! I can't wait to get a day off to get up there ... maybe this week.
Taco suggested Norma's Chute, but felt that might be taken wrong. 
As i climbed, i thought it was rather wide for a chute and as GigaMike says, usually there are more rocks in it, but because of the snowfall it's completely filled in. this might be a stretch... but since right now it's a steep bowl shaped hollow, may we refer to it as a Cwm? Maybe, Zoom Cwm? 
