EISPIRATEN

I got some bad news the weathers gona be a bit sketchy this weekend http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.ph ... tType=text

Maybe we can climb in a week or so. Anyone got any dates in mind?

Gonna head up GMR to Ridge to Baldy Village around 7am tomorrow. I'm the dude with the orange handlebar tape. Say hi if you're in the area.

Went up last night instead, met up with E-man. Good to see you again! Not likely to go up again today.

We're heading up 11 June, weather permitting, and hope to spend a nite on Baldy.

Any experiences you folks want to share about your first nite hike up there? In mid-June? Bivy, low-rise tent/tarp or nada...just a bag? Etc.etc..... Ideally, we''ll have a couple of jungle bivies and a small bike-camping tent which is about 2.5 ft. high.

We're going to be taking pictures and just having fun so, probably leave from Manker around 3:30 PM and head to the Hut for dinner.

Thanks!

If camping on the summit, I'd go with just a sleeping bag and bivy bag. Too damn windy for a tent. You can hide behind the rock rings up there to get out of the majority of the wind.

There is some sheltered camping at the Badly-Harwood saddle, with some trees and whatnot in a small depression.

Taco: yea, the bivy is the way to go but, they're backordered and may not come in time. My choice then would be a tarp and just go for it. Laura's bike tent is low-profile but heavy (~5#) versus those jungle bivies which are 25oz. each.

We'll check out the saddle area down towards Harwood if we have any issues on Baldy.

Another cheap bivy bag ($11.00) with free shipping.

http://www.armynavydeals.com/asp/produc ... me=Belgian Sleeping Bag cover

Country girl likes to sleep w/o fly on the tent. I think this bivy bag should cut it for a dry nite. We bring a light mylar tarp, ground cover, thermarests and that's enough probably.

I've got a UK Army issue bivy bag I use all the time. Wanna borrow it? I'm not using it right now, by all means if you wanna use it, borrow it!

Taco: cool, thanks! I'm going to check out that cheapo $11 one and see how soon I can get it. Then, if needed, I'll get back to you before 11 June.

Righto!

Taco wrote: ↑ There is some sheltered camping at the Badly-Harwood saddle, with some trees and whatnot in a small depression.

Here's a question: I never think to hit up Harwood when I'm hiking Baldy. Looking down from Baldy here in this pic, is Harwood the first or second peak in photo? I assume it's the furthest one down the ridgeline, past that last stand of trees? I can't tell which of those two peaks above use trail leading to DBB is higher.

Harwood is the only other peak in the main body of that photo. Elevation is 9552. Once you're there, you'll see what I mean.

You might wish to consider West Baldy as well...

Well, Country Girl and I had a fun time on our first nite out on Baldy. We left at 2PM on Saturday, bailed the packs (too heavy for us) at the Hut and hit the summit around 6PM. We then beat it back down just at sunset, threw the tent up next to the Hut and had a really nice nite. Hike down on Sunday, up to Crystal Lake for brunch. Thanks to Adam, the owner of the store, for the burritos AND for holding my wallet that I had left on the picnic table Saturday morning. Yikes! We hiked around Crystal Lake for a bit and then headed back home. Finished the weekend with a hike around Moro Canyon and breakfast on the beach at Crystal Cove. We felt pretty good about the whole weekend - great weather, a nice hike or two and plenty of good food.

Country Girl with her old Kelty external frame. Still works.
(We both were bombed by the time we got to the hut. We had planned to summit with the tent and bivies et al. but, truth be told, neither of us wanted to snake up the trail with 32# on our backs. Good call.)


Damn...you folks hit this?


Laura's first time on Baldy. We're not proud - we had knee and ankle braces (first time we wore them) and were real happy with them.


Full house on top. The glens thereabout were full too. There must've have been 50 people camped on/near summit Saturday. BIG FUN to be had up there. We'll be back with light gear and, just a bivy. Kinda windy up there I bet Sat. nite as it was blowing pretty good down around Ski Hut all nite.




O yes.....

Excellent!

Yesterday afternoon as I was on the Ski Hut Trail I wondered for the first time where people start counting their hiking time for that trail - is it at the parking lot down at Manker or where you leave the road and start up the trail near the register?

I'm just curious.

Parking lot. I regard all trails this way. The hike begins when I lock the car.

i'm 100% with simonov.

car door to car door.

and you?

I always count the time from car to car no matter how slow it is. We have a cabin at Glacier Lodge for Labor Day weekend. It will be the first time that we have ever walked to the trailhead. So that hike time will be cabin to cabin.

Truck to truck for me too, and not so fast at that - 4 hours and 50 minutes. Yesterday, was the first time I tracked from register to register too - that was 4 hours and 7 minutes. It took me 24 minutes to get from the truck to the register on the way up and about 19 minutes on the way down - that seems like a long time from the parking lot to the register.

I guess I've done that trail way too many times if I'm to the point of checking my watch instead of the scenery. On another note, Friday afternoons are really peaceful along the trail - much nicer than Saturday mornings.

KathyW wrote: ↑ It took me 24 minutes to get from the truck to the register on the way up and about 19 minutes on the way down - that seems like a long time from the parking lot to the register.
.

The road sucks.

When I can remember, I clock from "trunk to trunk".

Yup, car to car also. Even though last time we did Baldy we parked so far away (hiking friends who were not early risers!), that it was definitely 20+ mins to the register

anyone ever camp (or attempt ) at Manker Flat Campground on a weekend? Is it a zoo? Impossible to get a spot?

I normal avoid developed campgrounds for car camping but don't know of a good spot in the Baldy area. Suggestions? PM if you want to keep it a secret. thanks.

Honestly even on weekends manker flats rarely fills up. You do get the occasional ruffians being loud tho as it's real easy access from the city.

If you don't mind driving the distance I've found guffy is always great, better views of both the desert, iron-baldy ridge, and the valley lights.

Crystal Lake.

Manker is a rocky shithole. Both the campground and the people that go there. I'd rather camp just about anywhere else, except maybe Monte Cristo.

However, if you're wanting a developed campground near Baldy, you're options are pretty limited.

MtnMan wrote: ↑Manker is a rocky shithole.

HAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!!

thanks for the info. I wasn't excited about Manker but friends wanted to stay there. I talked them into camping off a forest road in the San B's and driving to Baldy early Saturday morning. They found a spot (several available) and after the ride I drove home.

Funny thing, I don't even like camping. Backpacking, yes, but not car camping.

If I want an early start on Baldy or Icehouse, or I want to relax instead of driving home immediately after a hike, I stay at the Buckhorn. Good Bloody Marys there.

Buckhorn's rooms are friggin' prison cells.