I have wanted for a while to hike Mt. Baldy from the Village via Lookout Mtn. I had read about the gully that deposits you on that ridge a couple of times but had never had the opportunity to try it out. This Monday I decided to go for it. On numerous hikes up Baldy I had checked out the canyons and was pretty certain I knew which gully to take.
You hike up to where the second switchbacks start and an obvious use trail drops you down to the creek. As you start down you will see a faint trail heading downstream take this. To the right will be the first canyon opening which will have a (dry) waterfall depending on the season, this ain't it. Go just a little further and you will see a steep vegetation choked gully going straight up, that's it. The vegetation clears quite quickly and soon you're in a gully covered with lots of leaves which makes for easy going.
The directions state go up until the canyon gets blocked and then head to the left through a clipped use trail. I'm not sure why but I noticed when I hit the steepest part of the gully a faint use trail heading towards the ridge to the right. I decided adventure first and scrambled up some loose crap, got stabbed by a yucca, and accessed the ridge. I reached a point where I found a use trail that contoured into the next gully and thought heck this might get me on the ridge. This is the gully that comes up from the waterfall.
The brush was thick and I couldn't make much upwards progess so crossed the next gully and tried to make my way upwards though a maze of thickening brush. Finally I hit some seven foot high stands of chaparrel on steep sandy slopes and I admitted defeat in this direction. I contoured back over to the other side of the gully and again got stymied. By now I had no idea how to get back down to the use trail that brought me here. It was time for war. I spotted a pine tree which I knew was near the use trail I had taken and just went straight through the brush back down. It must have been about 200 yards but it was the ultimate in brush whacking through impenetrable brush. I had spider webs hanging from my face, berries down my ass, scratches all over my arms, it was awesome in retrospect.
I finally got back to the use trail and still had fight in me. I contoured back over the ridge and into the original gully that was supposed to take me to the ridge. I played nice and followed the directions and lo and behold I made it to the ridge. I knew I wasn't making Baldy that day after wasting 2 hours on the brush but sweet success I had made the ridge, so FU brush. If you do read Summit Post I would be cautious about the route variation noted by Becht because that was part of what I tried and I didn't see anyway through that brush. Stick to Erv Bartel canyon and don't be a trailblazer!
Brushfest on July 4th
A little bushwhacking is always fun, in retrospect.I had spider webs hanging from my face, berries down my ass, scratches all over my arms, it was awesome in retrospect.
I had a similar experience going to Lookout Mountain in December. I came from Cow Canyon Saddle and took the ridge toward bump 5696 rather than the well maintained trail that traverses the west slope below that bump. It was not bad until just before bump 5696, then it got thick and I was too stubborn to turn around. It was about 200 yards of hell , but once I reached the saddle northwest of bump 5696, the trail was obvious. Is that the saddle or ridge you were trying to reach? On my return I went cross country down the south ridge, then stayed on the trail. Never tried it from Bear Canyon, but routes 2 and 3 on this site are probably accurate.