EISPIRATEN

I stayed at Manker on a Friday night once to get an early start on Baldy and thought it was quite pleasant. I was there with my girlfriend and we didn't have any firewood and a guy in the campsite next to us gave us all of his since he was leaving. I never knew this place had a bad rap, I've always suggested it to people for car camping.

Taco wrote: ↑Buckhorn's rooms are friggin' prison cells.

All I do is sleep in them.

There's a patio bar and restaurant right across the street.

simonov wrote: ↑

Taco wrote: ↑Buckhorn's rooms are friggin' prison cells.

All I do is sleep in them.

There's a patio bar and restaurant right across the street.

Ide hafta spend a LOTT of time getting drunk at that bar befor spending 100 bucks again on that awful place. its sooooooo gross. and baldy lodge is the same price and super cool n clean n nice. I have actually been to jail, and yes, my cell was better than these rooms, not kidding even a little bit. maybe ide pay 10 dollars if I had to for some reason, but not 100, fuk that. baldys worth 100 easy, buckhorns worth 10...its so bad, im just stayin at the days inn in west covina when i come out next week because baldy lodge has nothin open, and i refuse to ever sleep at buckhorn ever ever again, ever ever ever. i just cant get over what they charge for that place. ive stayd in better motel 6's. ide rather of just slept outside in the woods.....probably woulda had less bugs......sorry, but i expect a lot better for 100 a nite

We stayed at the Buckhorn for the Tour of California. Like the ski lifts, it's a low budget operation. The rooms are tiny and sparce - no phone, no refrigerator, no TV. But, our room was clean and bug free. It's a place to sleep when you are there for something else - it's not a resort. And I am glad that it is not. At least, there are still a few places that have some local color. The last thing Baldy needs is some homogenized, national chain motel. The lady who owns the place is quite a character. She is a former Vegas showroom singer and widow of the politician Jesse Unruh who was touted as a vice-presidential candidate one year.

What's the price difference between Baldy Lodge and Buckhorn Lodge?

I have nothing against the staff of Buckhorn Lodge. That said, I've had better bivies.

i agree, definately dont want a chain motel up there. Im just saying that Baldy Lodge is the exact same price, and very nice n quaint with a fireplace n everything, the EXACT same price and a thousand times better. and it has character n all that too. but its not all run down. and were just there to spend the nites to, not looking for a resort. just a base to hike and cruz from. but for 100 a nite, i like to at least be comfortable.

i can see buckhorns a low-budget place, but then they should be charging low budget prices, not the same prices that baldy lodge does. i wouldnt of felt so ripped off if buckhorn charged 39.99 a night, but was assuming when we went there that since it cost the same as baldy-lodge, where we normally stay, and that it was less n a mile away, that itd be as good. it wasnt even close. but hey, everyone likes different stuff, i like having a fireplace n sofa for my 100 bucks ...u dont. no biggie. didnt intend to offend u buckhorn peeps, sorry

i car camp when necessary and without mentioning names, i stay in a parking lot that by 9am on a Sunday morn might have some folks parking there in their Sunday finest... if you get my drift. but i am usually outta' there by 6am.

norma r wrote: ↑i car camp when necessary and without mentioning names, i stay in a parking lot that by 9am on a Sunday morn might have some folks parking there in their Sunday finest... if you get my drift. but i am usually outta' there by 6am.

I'm telling!

car camping is not an option for me. cars way to small n seats dont recline n there no real backseat, just sorta a seat-shaped shelf in back
Ha- i bet trying to sleep in the Prelude would be ridiculous, lol
id totally rather sleep outside.

Norma's not suggesting you try to contort yourself to sleep in the Prelude.

Oh, thats good. Norma must have bigger car...or shes really small, ha.

everyday wrote: ↑Oh, thats good. Norma must have bigger car...or shes really small, ha.

not really, i'm just fond of pretzels.

She is a strange person, that Norma. abNormal.

Taco wrote: ↑She is a strange person, that Norma. abNormal.

8) Thank you, thank you very much.

everyday wrote: ↑Ide hafta spend a LOTT of time getting drunk at that bar befor spending 100 bucks again on that awful place. its sooooooo gross. and baldy lodge is the same price and super cool n clean n nice. I have actually been to jail, and yes, my cell was better than these rooms, not kidding even a little bit.

I don't know what room they gave you, but every time I've stayed there the room was clean and dolled up with stuffed animals and samplers and stuff. Looked like someone's grandmother was in there decorating the place. I'd have to move all the little throw pillows and stuffed dolls off the bed so I had room to sleep.

I've been in jail too. They didn't have little throw pillows and stuffed dolls where I went to jail, they didn't even have a bed; but then I've heard if you can get locked up in some of our swankier suburbs you can have a fine time indeed. Newport Beach jail, for example, serves deli sandwiches.

Baldy Lodge has nasty breakfasts and they don't have a dog-friendly patio. And the parking is terrible. They are off my list.

Snow Crest has a great location, nice little bar, and the cabins are rundown but quaint and comfortable (with fireplaces). But the creepy low-lifes who seem to be in residence there are a definite turnoff. Off my list as well.

Baldy Lodge doesn't serve breakfast.

Taco wrote: ↑Baldy Lodge doesn't serve breakfast.

I agree, but they seem to think they do. Nasty "hash browns." Just nasty.

LOL. no dude, REALLY, they dont have breakfast! they dont even OPEN til lunch time, noon, they ONLY have lunch n dinner. I dont know where u ate hashbrowns but it wasnt baldy lodges restrauant. they have steaks n burgers n hotwings n super yummy chocolate cake. No breakfast like foods at all. and the parking is good, spaces for every cabin, and big patio areas. you mustve been at a lodge in a parralell universe or somethin.either that or they drastically changed everything since between when u were there n when i was there.. ive stayd there 3 different times for days in a row just since May and in 3 different cabins, all lovely. I know what they have n what they dont....either way, im quitting this conversation cause its gotten silly and I hafta finish packin

No offense to all you folks that still actually hike - but this is my kinda 'trip report' - discussions of hash browns, lunch, dinner, showers, beds, fireplaces!

The one thing I often hated after hiking was having to leave the mountains. Woulda loved to have a cabin to go to... Driving past all the charming little cabins made it even tougher... ok, i wont boo hoo anymore.

I checked out the Baldy cabins on their website - those do look nice, the cheapest I saw was $109.00 per night, $140.00 seemed the average. Buckhorn sites says you have to call for prices.

Simonov - ditto on the Snow Crest thing, we checked it out, dude was nice enough to show us around, cool history, but like you said, the folks staying there, ehhh, we just didn't wanna go with that vibe. Nice spot though, right on that ridge. I wonder if the pool is up and going again?

Buckhorn, love the restaurant, a beautiful interior. Ate a huge stack of pancakes and bacon there on morning and still made it to the top of Baldy, dumb yet young back then. The bank of motel rooms across the street didn't look too inviting the last I saw of them.

Wow, how about those little cabins that used to line the river upstream from Buckhorn - ah the good ol' daze...

Speaking of Baldy Lodge - this thread was a good excuse to finally snap a pic of this match book cover I found a few months ago --- match books given out at mountain resorts, talk about the 'olden days'...

Wow, neat.

Is there anyone on this board that might be able to answer a question regarding a business that may have been located in the Mt Baldy area?

Or a contact point for someone that might be able to at least try and answer a question or two?

I've tried google searching already but coming up with nothing...

Thanks

You may try sending a self addressed stamped envelope to the "Chapman Family" at the Chapman Ranch, explaining what you are looking for and why. They have been there for quite some time and may know or check with the historical society in that area, like say Mt. San Antonio College, try that.

Good luck

The older versions of "Trails of the Angeles" used to have some petty good 'overview' history of the area (the older the version, the more detail it has). The latest version seems to have deleted the history of the Mt. Baldy area (but left in the areas above Pasadena/Monrovia/La Canada). Since public libraries don't spend a lot on books these days you might be able to find some older versions in their stacks. Use the info in those as a starting point for names/places/things and you can dig deeper as you see fit; at college libraries (Claremont, La Verne, & CSU Pomona might have some old records), county records offices, maybe even the Angeles Forest HQs.

Thanks much Lilbitmo & atomicoyote - great ideas. I found Chapman Ranch's address so if my other source doesn't come through I will hit them up with the question.

atomi, I shoulda mentioned that I did check through John Robinson's The San Gabriels, will check the Trails of the Angeles too. Wow, forgot how great that book is - but didn't find the info. One of the questions I have is tied to a photo of Camp Baldy. A similar photo is in Robinson's book but it is taken from a different angel.

Sure wish I was closer to all those colleges - which in turn would put me closer to Baldy itself

Thanks again for the help...

Sorting through some photos from the net, ran across these... amazing how the floor has changed. The 2nd picture, more to the left of the photo, is that the 'entrance' into San Antonio Canyon?



Is that Baldy?

I think the second pic is Deer Canyon on Cucamonga Peak.

Doesn't look like Baldy.

HJ

Play around with Google Earth - the second picture is definitely Deer Canyon.