Mt. Baldy 05-01-10
Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 7:16 pm
Saturday early solo trip up the Bowl just to stretch the legs and tone the muscles. Snow coverage was sufficient to climb the Bowl in the center and was deep enough still to take axe and crampons just fine. Maybe a couple more weeks and no more snow?? We'll see. REAL windy on top, I estimate 40 + sustained. Met a guy on the way up who had an anemometer with him and measured 29 mph at the Harwood saddle, but the summit was definitely windier than the saddle, so who knows... I definitely want to get one of those cheap anemometers just to satisfy my curiousity about wind velocities. With a temp of around 25 and wind speeds in the 40's wind chill could have been in the neighborhood of around 0 degrees, and the wind and cold had the interesting effect of making it hard for me to breath. It seemed like the wind was sucking the oxygen out of every breath I would take so I would have to breath extra hard just to get enough. Funny feeling I've never had before. Only spent 10 minutes on top and got down ASAP. Did the glissade down the east Bowl and traversed over to the main Bowl after, snow was ok for glissading but not particularly comfortable and of course I put a couple new holes in my favorite snow pants, damn! back to the tailor again.
Met Shin and Darren back at the Hut and sat around there for awhile in the never before seen (by me) custom deluxe plastic lounge chairs they had sitting outside in the sun, wow, all I needed was a nice bourbon and seven and I would have been set! Tons of people up there too. Finally decided to head down and got to the car about 1100. Saw 2 people with wooden ice axes, something I very rarely see even one of. One older looking gentleman said that when he bought his that it was considered the "light weight" model although it looked anything but "light weight" with a very solid, long, substantial oak-like looking handle. Anyway, nice quick workout day on Baldy!
Pictures here: http://markirving.smugmug.com/Hiking/Mt ... 9588_NyNWP
Met Shin and Darren back at the Hut and sat around there for awhile in the never before seen (by me) custom deluxe plastic lounge chairs they had sitting outside in the sun, wow, all I needed was a nice bourbon and seven and I would have been set! Tons of people up there too. Finally decided to head down and got to the car about 1100. Saw 2 people with wooden ice axes, something I very rarely see even one of. One older looking gentleman said that when he bought his that it was considered the "light weight" model although it looked anything but "light weight" with a very solid, long, substantial oak-like looking handle. Anyway, nice quick workout day on Baldy!
Pictures here: http://markirving.smugmug.com/Hiking/Mt ... 9588_NyNWP
i remember your axe as being very handsome too!
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