Manker - North Backbone Segment

TRs for the San Gabriel Mountains.
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Elwood
Posts: 612
Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2008 5:23 pm

Post by Elwood »

Wanting to say a prayer or two for our fallen hiking Sister in situ, I headed over Baldy yesterday and down the North Devil's Backbone trail a ways. Weather was just spectacular; winds mostly calm except for a few cool breezes blowing from the Stockton Flat side over the saddle towards Fish Fork. The Wanker Flat trail is completely devoid of snow below the hut. There are several stretches of the refrozen white stuff as you ascend from southwest side of the bowl towards the summit.

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Old Sol lightin' up another bowl.

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Patches of snow are all that remain in the Baldy Bowl.

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Shaded trail section across the bowl from the Ski Hut.

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Southeast face of West Baldy.

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View towards Ontario Peak and beyond.

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View towards West Baldy, "Bear Flat Ridge" and Santa Catalina.

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A desolate Mount San Antonio summit.

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View down the North Devil's Backbone Trail towards Dawson, Pine and Blue Ridge.

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This snow was perfect for crampons. No post-holing, minimal hard ice.

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My turnaround point. Needed to get home at a reasonable hour.

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Lower half of Baldy's north face above the Fish Fork drainage.

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Upper half of Baldy's north face above the Fish Fork drainage.

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Snow field adjacent to the North Devil's Backbone trail, facing Mount Harwood.

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Facing Pine Mountain and Blue Ridge.

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Devils Backbone Trail over Harwood was reported as being completely clear.

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View towards upper Fish Fork from the landing just northwest of Baldy's main summit.

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Another view towards Ontario Peak.

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Skies were amazingly clear.

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Just enough snow to keep the descent interesting.

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The ski area may need a little more precipitation.

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A nice day to hang out next to Jabba.

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GPS track and elevation plot.
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TracieB
Posts: 216
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 8:57 am

Post by TracieB »

Hi Elwood,

I wish you had stopped by to say hello at "Jabba", It was a spectacular day yesterday, felt like I was hanging out at the beach!

Nice pix!
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He219
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Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2007 11:18 pm

Post by He219 »

Beautiful photos, Elwood!
Cheers- :D
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lilbitmo
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Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:44 pm

Post by lilbitmo »

Nice pictures and report Elwood - thanks for sharing those.

:D
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Dave G
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Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:51 am

Post by Dave G »

Beautiful images, Elwood. We went up Register Ridge yesterday and it felt like Summertime.
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Taco
Snownado survivor
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Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2007 4:35 pm

Post by Taco »

Top stuff, Elwood. 8)
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mve
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Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 12:53 pm

Post by mve »

Great detailed TR and pictures -- I've never been in that direction.
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turtle
Posts: 152
Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2010 11:35 am

Post by turtle »

Elwood wrote: A nice day to hang out next to Jabba.
Sure is different than two weeks ago Saturday when it seemed only Jabba's breadth against the wind kept us from freezing into carbonite. :roll:
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So.BayMark
Posts: 58
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:04 pm

Post by So.BayMark »

Went up to baldy this morning opened up the regester which I never do and looked at sundays people, first I saw was Elwood then Tracei saying where they were going so for the maybe third time ever I wrote down what I was doing today up face down face when I started and when I came out..Nice hike, mountain to myself, see forever 46deg. at summit at 8am.

Nice pictures Elwood hope to meet you on trail someday..

mark

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/5793 ... t=outdoors
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