Skyliners on Baldy 12.20.09

norma r · Post by **norma r** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 9:04 am

I did the Bear Flat Trail via the Village to Mount Baldy on Sunday with Phil (Lik2Hik) and desert rats aka Skyliners: Ellen, Tina and Lance. The snow was in perfect condition for crampons and we were the only ones on the trail that day. Loved the solitude! This was my first time doing Bear Flat in the winter and that is one long left-hand traverse to the summit and a long right-hand traverse on the way back. Makes for strong ankles or sore ankles!

A great day with great company!

Ring around the sun for most of the day

The Narrows

Tina found a note on the summit

the rest of the pix are here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ryan.norma8 ... eSnowClimb#

Ellen · Post by **Ellen** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 10:11 am

Howdy All

I guess I hadn't had enough of Baldy after my first bowl ascent on Thursday. After a Saturday snowshoe up on San Jacinto, Norma and I joined Lance, Phil, and Tina for a Sunday summit bid up Bear Canyon. We donned crampons at about 8 K. The weather was perfect -- much cooler than Thursday and the incoming weather system created an eerie ring around the sun.

By the time we summited, the artic wind had dropped the effective temperature to about 24 degrees. We headed over to the saddle between Baldy and West Baldy and had lunch in the shelter of rocks. Phil whipped out a Jet Boil and prepared excellent mountain coffee

We started the looonnnggg descent and suffered through the quad-wrecking steep switchbacks down to the stream. By the time we reached our vehicles, ten hours had elapsed. Norma treated us to Trader Joe's Hawaiian potato chips prior to the drudgery of driving home.

I've decided that the next time I even think about going up the Baldy bowl, snowshoeing San J, and summiting Baldy via Bear Canyon in four days, I will set my alarm for 4 AM and have someone come over and beat me with chains

Thanks to everyone for a great day.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

lik2hik · Post by **lik2hik** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 10:33 am

Great T/R and pictures Norma, as always. My first winter ascent of the Bear Flat trail too!
Couldn't ask for better weather OR better company. Thanks all for a really special day on the mountain. Must do it again soon!!

- Phil

lilbitmo · Post by **lilbitmo** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 11:20 am

You guys are gluttons for punishment

I like it.

How the hell did you get Tina out of the Desert

Nice work, great pictures.

I would have liked to join you but was being of service to a very close family that lost their "Father Yesterday", to cancer, he was one of my closets friends.

If I had known Phil was making "Mountain Coffee" I might have changes my plans

EnFuego · Post by **EnFuego** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 12:59 pm

Nice pictures. Looked like a very nice day.

Dave G · Post by **Dave G** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 1:57 pm

lilbitmo wrote:If I had known Phil was making "Mountain Coffee" I might have changes my plans

That can't be Phil, Patrick. Check it out--he's wearing long pants!

Looks like it was another nice day on good Ol' Baldy.

Did you see another bootrack up on the ridge? Some people walk up there and find the ups and downs preferable to the ankle-tweaking sidehilling down low.

lilbitmo · Post by **lilbitmo** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 2:08 pm

I did my first climb of Baldy in winter of 2005 up the Bear Flat trail solo - it kicked my ass and I was so not prepared for the depth of the snow or the crazy conditions (that was the winter where it rained and snowed on and off for a month - thee wettest winter in the last 10). I made the summit without crapons, snow shoes or Ice Axe but it made me realize I was risking it all, so I soon went out and got the right equipment. When we do the Ski Hut trail I always look over at that ridgeline and remember that it's easy to get up the main trail most of the time, but the Bear Canyon/Flat Trail is much more work, summer or winter, I think the ladies must be sore today after doing the Bowl on Thursday, Snow Shoed San J on Saturday and Summit Baldy again on Sunday up that trail, my hat is off to them, that's one hell of a four day hiking report

I'm in awe of them and have the utmost respect for their endurance

Phil's not wearing long pants, those are body paints made to look like pants, don't be fooled by it, he's still the man in the mad shorts

Dave you going out this week or weekend?

norma r · Post by **norma r** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 2:35 pm

Dave G wrote:That can't be Phil, Patrick. Check it out--he's wearing long pants!

Good eye! that was the first thing i said to Phil, "You're not in shorts?"

it's a good thing, as it was pretty chilly that day. we did not have the balmy weather we had on the bowl on Thursday.

Patrick i was butt last getting to the summit, about 5 mins behind the others. i got tired, gosh darn it.

Wished you both could have been there. it was a fun day!

Dave G · Post by **Dave G** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 3:30 pm

lilbitmo wrote:Dave you going out this week or weekend?

Yes, sent you a PM.

tinaballina · Post by **tinaballina** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 8:50 am

Norma, you took some great pics...thanks for that.
I had a great time with you Phil, Lance and Ellen.
it was great to finally hike with you.