EISPIRATEN

I said I was thinking about it so I did it on Friday. Took me over an hour to get up to the lifts from Baldwin Park, glad I left work a little early. I got on the lift around 6, then met up with a group at the Notch. From there we got the 4x4 shuttle to the start of the Backbone trail....You all know the rest. Made the summit in time to see a nice sunset despite the cool breeze, then walked down to the same place and rode back. Dinner at the Notch was a good buffet of tri-tip and chicken, potatoes and salad and veggies. That late at night we were all pretty hungry!
Quite a few of the people there had never been to Baldy's summit, and some were rather unprepared. I wore my wind shirt and handed my fleece pullover to one lady in short sleeves and some of them didn't have lights for the walk down. Sheesh......
Anyway, some pics below.



Riding the lift up.


Getting to this spot you realize just how big the mountain is.


One hiker just reaching the summit.


Proof I was there.


The Notch folks brought up some beer! That guy, Pavel, carried up more than a six-pack.


Shadow all the way out to San Gorgonio.


West Baldy in twilight.


Actual sunset from the summit.


Got to see a moonset too.

Great pics ! I've only seen morning/evening mountain shadows when I'm spending the night on the top. A friend and I overnighted on Register Ridge Thurs, but we turned right at Devil's Backbone and headed for the Notch. We'd had enough. We'd found a dog collar attached to a leash that was wound around a fallen log, down the RR route, and it turns out to belong to a bartender at the Notch named Nicole. Her pit bull Athena had gotten out with the leash still attached, and had gotten itself way up Register Ridge, of all places, before it got entangled. "Athena" then pulled a Houdini and managed to pull her head out of the collar, and made it home safely. We'd taken the leash with us, since it had a name tag and phone no's on it. But turned out all we had to do was leave it with the bar at the Notch.
Saw all you Solstice people getting off the lift, and we chatted with Pavel for awhile. He didn't remember me, but he had poured rum coffees in the Sierra Club hut for my friend and I back in 2008. Quite a guy - he is often referred to as the mayor of Baldy Village.

Interesting trip; something different for sure!

Neat photos. Love the one of the shadow.

HJ