Google Earth totals said 9.8 miles, with a bit over 6,000ft gain/loss.
I started hiking at 1125, reaching the hut about an hour later, and the summit by 2 something or so. I'm not real fast right now. I went up the left side of the bowl (south side), which is often called the West Bowl. I don't know what's west about it. I don't mean to be a turd by questioning this, but when something is given a cardinal direction to its name, it should reflect it accurately. There was but a few inches of snow over gravel on this section, as well as most places on the mountain.
I hit the bottom of the west face at 3 something, and reached the summit of West Baldy as the sun dipped below the horizon. The face itself was pretty, with no technical sections. It's essentially Baldy Bowl, but on the west side. Hmm, a West Bowl!
The colors run through their changes as the sun filters through different angles of the atmosphere, bouncing the colors off from various places and collecting on the snow to bounce off once more into space (or some such fancy shit).
There was a full moon scheduled to be out. I didn't check the time, as I didn't want to over-plan and just end up sitting on my ass. This is a common problem with me. You've got what you need to do something, so just go do it. You can deal with issues as they arise, instead of engineering it from home. Just go.
The sun was gone, and the moon wasn't to rise until I was down below the hut. I came across a couple who had become disoriented on their way down, ending up on the Ski Hut trail instead of the Devils Backbone.
There was a young man wearing regular city clothes and shoes who had lost his cell phone on DBB. He asked if travel was safe to that point. I essentially told him he should be okay, but he would've had a challenge. I would not recommend doing that at that time. Hell, I wouldn't wear that stuff in the summer if I had a choice. I hope he is okay. Sometimes I give people the benefit of the doubt, and figure they know to turn around if they can't continue safely, and that things get more difficult for those who aren't prepared as the sun goes down. Sometimes people do okay, and sometimes people slip and die alone in the cold night with nobody to help them. I really hope he's home and okay, cell phone or not.
The north face still has some snow, and is probably more firm than the rest of what's up there. I may try for the same damn ridge I keep thinking of. I don't know if it'll stick long enough. I doubt it.
We need more snow. The clinic will need to be pushed back.
Oh, and of course I need to post whatever post-rock was in my head during the glimbingks:
Cheers.
