Rime Iced Baldy 11.21.10

TRs for the San Gabriel Mountains.
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norma r
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Post by norma r »

It's still autumn but it looked a lot like winter on Baldy. Dave G and I headed up from Manker yesterday at 7:30 am in a welcomed snowstorm with nary a soul in sight. Making first tracks and breaking trail all the way to the ski hut was our reward! :D

The clouds that brought in the storm that started Saturday left in its wake a covering of rime ice on trees, shrubs and rocks. What a way to start the season. It was so beautiful and impossible not to keep stopping to take photos of the fascinating visions.

We arrived at the ski hut to a window uncovered and smoke circling from the chimney. We were welcomed in by Pavel who had spent the night with others and served us his homemade Potato/Kielbasa soup with warm bread and we finished with hot tea with honey. Yum!! :D The heat generated by the wood burning stove fogged up the lenses of our cold cameras and dried the clothes we hung. We also met Salvatore who joined us when we left for the summit.

It didn't take long to realize that NOT bringing our crampons today was a lousy idea. While at the hut we heard the storm started with hail which must have left the ice layer that was under 6-8" of fresh powder. Slipping on the steep was the norm and made for a slow laborious ascent. Dave had an advantage of sorts with his Micro-spikies (they suck on steep stuff) and I spent more time on my arse than I ever remember. :evil: Man am i sore! :cry:

Up on the ridge i was eyeing my watch as I had plans for the evening and with the increasingly pounding wind and the waning visibility we eventually chose to turn-around. Descending was no easy task until we hit level terrain sub ski hut. Can you say, "slip 'n slide?"

Oh what fun we had on our first ascent of Baldy, Winter 2010/2011. :D WooHoo!

Even the register likes snow
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It's looking a lot like winter!
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Rime pine
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Hut framed in rime
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Millions of little ice crystals that make up rime
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Goggled up
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Did i mention it was windy???
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Zg ... directlink

Rest of my pix are here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ryan.norma8 ... aldy112110#
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simonov
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Post by simonov »

Oh, man, potato and kielbasa soup you say?
Nunc est bibendum
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lik2hik
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Post by lik2hik »

Great Pix guys! Looks like a fun adventure - with a hot lunch too!!
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mve
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Post by mve »

WOW, so nice, the snow is back! :D
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TracieB
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Post by TracieB »

NICE!! I would've been miserable if I'd gone up Sunday because for sure I would've left crampons home and most likely would've forgot the goggles too. Time to pack my winter pack for winter adventures! :)
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tinaballina
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Post by tinaballina »

Norma/dave g- NICE! and yay the snow is here.

ps...dave, pm me your cell, would love to try to meet up with you sometime in december to get a lesson on crampon sharpening...i will buy lunch :wink:
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asbufra
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Post by asbufra »

nice photos, nice trip, the photo of the ski hut is a post card.
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Taco
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Post by Taco »

Very nice!
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cougarmagic
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Post by cougarmagic »

All great photos, but that one of the hut is a stunner. What an amazing color - that overcast, crack of dawn blue...
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snmtbaldy
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Post by snmtbaldy »

Hi Norma,
Thank you for the very first trip report of snow season.
I know everyone is ready.

I was in the village Saturday around noon with my friends to hike up Mt. Baldy.
Pavel invited me to hike to Ski hut. But it was raining very hard so we spent rest of the day at nice and warm Mt Baldy "Lodge". We are not hardcore hiker.

Hope to see you on the snow covered trail.

Shin
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hvydrt
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Post by hvydrt »

norma r wrote:........ Making first tracks and breaking trail all the way to the ski hut was our reward! :D
Sure made my hike easier! And I was lucky enough to be just behind 2 snowshoers. I might start doing more of these late AM starts. :D
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James
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Post by James »

Norma,

Thanks for the great photos and first snow TR of the season. Sounds like a great day!

Shin, hanging out at the lodge isn't a bad TR either. 8)
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norma r
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Post by norma r »

thanks all for enjoying the photos. :D i love hiking and i especially LOVE hiking when it's in snow. so glad i was afforded the day to get out there and what a reward!

Shin, i've hiked all day in light rain but i don't much care for heavy rain. you made the right choce. it was probably heavy sleet on the mtn. talking about freezing cold!!

Dave, i hope you have a chance to post your pix today and "educate" the others on the risks with snowplows when legally parked at Manker. :evil: there is a story yet to tell...
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Dave G
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Post by Dave G »

Fun day playing in the snow, Norma. Thanks for the invite!
My photos of the outing are similar to yours; I just seem to have more of some chick in a red jacket :wink: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21042415@N ... 328401729/

Image
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lilbitmo
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Post by lilbitmo »

Thanks for posting the pictures NR and DG - I'm very glad those initials do not stand for "Not Rated" and "Don't Go" :D on the contrary, they stand for "No Restrictions" and "Defineately Go" as my pack is packed and I will be on dem dare hills in dah merning :shock:
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norma r
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Post by norma r »

have fun Patrick! wish i could go tomorrow, but i will be working 1/2 day and then, chopping, coring dicing, peeling. Turkey Day is a comin'! :D
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He219
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Post by He219 »

Nice TR, Norma!
First winter ascent of Baldy, very niice.
:D
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