Devil's Backbone Trail (Mt. Baldy)

gregp909 · Post by **gregp909** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 4:40 pm

I went skiing at Mt Baldy today and rode chair 4 to the top -- this should be close the where the Devil's Backbone trail begins. Can someone point me in the right direction? Has anyone broken the trail yet this winter? I have done the Ski Hut/Bowl/Summit about 30 times but I have never done the backbone and I would like to try it while my kids go skiing over the Holiday week. Any help would be appreciated.

KathyW · Post by **KathyW** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 5:58 pm

Just keep going WNW from the top of the lift. Most people start down at the Notch and take the road up to where the trail starts just past the top of the lift, but I suppose if you have a ski pass you can ride all the way up to the top of Lift 4.

There's a section that can be pretty sketchy in the winter along the Devil's Backbone Trail - especially if it's icy. Be careful.

gregp909 · Post by **gregp909** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:52 am

Thanks.

Didn't go climbing just went snowboarding with the kids. However, when we were in the Baldy parking lot I saw 5 guys that looked like they were going hiking so I asked them where they were going. . . they said Devil's Backbone. . .none of them had ice axes or crampons, just snow shoes. . .and two guys were wearing running shoes. No joke. I tried really hard to talk them out of going but they went anyway. Not sure how far they got, but that is one of the classic examples of why/how people get hurt/die in the mountains during the winter.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 11:39 am

gregp909 wrote:Thanks.

Didn't go climbing just went snowboarding with the kids. However, when we were in the Baldy parking lot I saw 5 guys that looked like they were going hiking so I asked them where they were going. . . they said Devil's Backbone. . .none of them had ice axes or crampons, just snow shoes. . .and two guys were wearing running shoes. No joke. I tried really hard to talk them out of going but they went anyway. Not sure how far they got, but that is one of the classic examples of why/how people get hurt/die in the mountains during the winter.

Sometimes it amazes me that there aren't more accidents.

Post by **Taco** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 5:14 pm

I wasn't there and don't know the situation, but they might change their stuff when they reach the start of the backbone. I usually wear trailrunners until I hit a technical spot where the climbing starts, then put my boots on. People give me looks as I'm walking around wearing a t-shirt and shorts with snow everywhere.

bertfivesix · Post by **bertfivesix** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 3:47 am

I put my crampons on in the parking lot.

drndr · Post by **drndr** » Mon Apr 28, 2014 4:30 pm

Any snow or ice left by this weekend? May 3rd?

Thanks

DukeJH · Post by **DukeJH** » Tue Apr 29, 2014 9:53 pm

I doubt it. I did Devil's Backbone on Sunday and the snow was melting quickly, puddles on the way down around 2:00 PM.

jfr · Post by **jfr** » Sun May 05, 2019 12:58 pm

(Old thread - technically this is the "official" current conditions thread for the backbone.)

Ever since my son tagged along with Sean, Elwood, and I on the Eispiraten Forum's 10th Anniversary Hike up the Devil's Backbone Trail he's been trying to get his girlfriend to do the same hike with him. He's a sea-level guy, living down where it's warm, so all this nice weather has made him think that conditions would be perfect. He's been asking me about it since way before April. Not likely, I told him.

Anyway, we're from San Diego, so we can't quite see Baldy from our house. And they have no skill with crampons. Does anyone know if the trail can be done safely yet this year? Is there still snow on the summit?

Post by **JeffH** » Mon May 06, 2019 5:15 pm

Reports I’ve seen other places say that there may be a little snow in the trees and the summit, probably dont need spikes to hike now.

Post by **Sean** » Sun Jul 28, 2024 3:10 pm

The Devil's Backbone trail is still there. It's in good shape. The alternative, contouring route along the summit push, however, has seen better days. Much of that tread is covered in rocks. The main path is fine though.

Post by **JeffH** » Sun Jul 28, 2024 8:30 pm

Sean wrote: ↑Sun Jul 28, 2024 3:10 pm The Devil's Backbone trail is still there. It's in good shape. The alternative, contouring route along the summit push, however, has seen better days. Much of that tread is covered in rocks. The main path is fine though.

Do you mean the section from the Harwood saddle to the summit? That's been a mess for years. I was just up there last month and it's still hard to pick a good route amongst the 53 that are available.

Post by **Sean** » Mon Jul 29, 2024 4:33 am

From the Harwood saddle to Baldy summit it's a bit of a choose your own adventure. But there is a main path that's mostly clear of loose rocks. On the ascent I took several deviations of lesser quality in order to switchback as much as possible. About two-thirds of the way up there is a longish switchback which contours to the right, then goes up a small ditch to regain the main path. This is the deviation which is covered in a lot of rocks now. I don't recommend it.

Post by **Taco** » Mon Jul 29, 2024 10:41 pm

Did the secret police come after you?

Also thank you for the cool nickname.

Post by **Sean** » Tue Jul 30, 2024 10:23 am

Taco wrote: ↑Mon Jul 29, 2024 10:41 pm Did the secret police come after you?

No, customers of the ski lift are exempted from the trail closures, so I was fine. I ran into a few people who ignored the closure signs on the Ski Hut trail, but nobody was enforcing the restrictions.