Best day hike?

Kleida · Post by **Kleida** » Sun Jun 11, 2017 1:18 am

Hi all, new member here.

I'm in Pasadena for a couple of days next month and am planning to use one of those to hike in the San Gabriel Mountains.

I'm hoping for suggestions as to the best use of a day in the mountains.

Ideally a circular walk back to my car but I am happy to look at a linear walk if there is a way for me to get back to my vehicle.

I'm a regular hiker at home in England and am used to doing 15+ miles a day with significant ascent (4000-5000 feet is not uncommon). I am not used to heat much above the mid 70s though.

I usually hike with a 3l hydration bladder and a filter to top up when I find a water source. The mountains look pretty dry to me so no idea if there is much water to be had.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received. Thanks in advance.

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Sun Jun 11, 2017 8:58 am

ummmm ummm ummm Chantry flat via upper winter creek, manzanita ridge toll road to Mt Wilson. Back via Sturtevant Trail and santa anita canyon

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Sun Jun 11, 2017 9:33 am

This is a map of the chantry wilson loop
https://caltopo.com/m/0E8B

There is no water on the way up on the Upper Winter Creek Trail. So I recommend this as the way up.

The Sturdevant Tr really has no water either though there is treatable water in Santa Anita Creek

There is NO water that is safe to drink without treating it in some way for pathogens. Iodine is cheap but makes the water taste medicinal. I'd recommend a water filter. REI is practically on the way to Chantry flat.

https://www.rei.com/product/116363/kata ... icrofilter

JayO · Post by **JayO** » Sun Jun 11, 2017 7:58 pm

If you are used to steep hiking - a big loop involving Mt. Baldy is spectacular. Start and finish at Manker Flats - up to Baldy's summit via the Ski Hut trail, descend via the Devil's Backbone and the Notch (Ski lodge). Take the utility truck trail back to Manker & the car. Some water is available right at the Ski Hut (stream). You may not need it unless it gets hot. Distance - 10 - 11 miles.

Kleida · Post by **Kleida** » Mon Jun 12, 2017 4:24 am

Thank you for the replies both of you.

I like the look of the Mt. Baldy hike - there are a couple of really good blog posts about it I've found so that is looking a firm favourite at the moment.

Thanks again.

Post by **Sean** » Mon Jun 12, 2017 7:20 am

Kleida wrote: ↑I like the look of the Mt. Baldy hike - there are a couple of really good blog posts about it I've found so that is looking a firm favourite at the moment.

I also recommend Baldy for a long summer hike. If you're not used to our July heat, then you will want to avoid the lower elevations in the front range and stick to the high country (Baldy, Baden-Powell, Blue Ridge, Crystal Lake, are a few options).

I've compiled a list of Mt. Baldy-area trip reports from our members. You can peruse them here. Some are cross-country trips that might be dangerous without familiarity of the region. But if you have questions about specific routes, let us know.

A lot of us also like Dan Simpson's webpage about the standard routes on Baldy. It's very thorough, and he does a good job keeping the site updated.

EnriqueFreeque · Post by **EnriqueFreeque** » Mon Jun 12, 2017 10:01 pm

The Baldy Loop suggested here is a California classic. I'd be cautious about the potential side effects of higher altitude on that hike, however, especially if you're not used to hiking that high up — 3,000+ meters — an altitude that most hikers here are already well acclimated to and take somewhat for granted.

Kleida · Post by **Kleida** » Tue Jun 13, 2017 12:59 am

EnriqueFreeque wrote: ↑The Baldy Loop suggested here is a California classic. I'd be cautious about the potential side effects of higher altitude on that hike, however, especially if you're not used to hiking that high up — 3,000+ meters — an altitude that most hikers here are already well acclimated to and take somewhat for granted.

Thank you, that is valuable advice.

Am I right in thinking that the ski lift will be operating in late July? I could use that up, down or both if I was struggling with the altitude?

RichardK · Post by **RichardK** » Tue Jun 13, 2017 5:10 am

From http://mtbaldyskilifts.com/

Scenic Lift Rides

Sugar Pine Chair Lift (chair 1) ferries riders from our parking lot to the Top of the Notch Restaurant. It gives access to miles of hiking trails including the popular route across Devils Backbone to the summit of Mt San Antonio (Mt Baldy). The ride is approximately 17 minutes and travels a distance of 1 mile.

Summer Hours:
Monday thru Thursday: Currently Closed
Friday: Currently Closed
Saturday thru Sunday: 7am to 7pm

Post by **JeffH** » Sun Jun 18, 2017 12:39 pm

One more note on the Baldy loop if you choose that one - As mentioned, water is available at the ski hut and also at the restaurant on the way down via Devil's Backbone. Restaurant and ski lift are not active weekdays, but the door is open and you can get water from the fountain inside and also make use of the bathrooms.

Slowest_Hiker · Post by **Slowest_Hiker** » Sun Jun 18, 2017 1:56 pm

I have seen them run the lifts on Fridays in summer, so keep an eye for changes at the web page if that's your target day. Wait, actually at the top of the front page says lifts Friday, Saturday, Sunday 7am-7pm, which contradicts the "Scenic lift ride" data found further down the page that RichardK quoted. And maybe even operating on a reduced schedule the other days, primarily for mountain bikes, not totally clear to me. They also have had extended restaurant and lift hours in recent years, mostly around holidays like July 4, but again watch the website as they do update it.

I'd recommend the "clockwise" direction that would let you take advantage of post-hike refreshments and optional ski lift down at the end. That's how Slowest_Hiker did it

The Ski Hut trail works better up in my opinion.

If Baldy proves too ambitious, I'll throw out a Mt Waterman loop, easily googled.