EISPIRATEN

A couple Peakbagger.com circles on a map: Gold Ridge and Baldy Notch. Pretty lame, but I thought I'd throw up a quick report, since the way I did Gold Ridge was kinda fun.

First I parked at the Baldy chair lift and huffed my way up the gully. I tried to stay off the use trail and stick to the rock-strewn streambed--for optimal foot placement.





Met a dude and his kid in the gully. They turned around when the going got super steep.

Downed some fluids at the Notch. Lots of work going on there, some with heavy equipment.

View of Gold Ridge from the Notch.



Over at the Desert View junction, I turned right and soon left the road, jumping onto the ridge before the reservoir.



Up here it was a bit cold with periodic wind that chilled me to the bone. The reservoir was full.





After the reservoir I hopped back on the ridge. This part was pretty steep, but had some cool, gnarled trees.





The next section flattened out for a stretch, and the views of Telegraph started really popping.





Another brief drop alongside the road, then I was climbing again.



Only a little snow, mostly off to the side of the ridgetop. It was melting fast.



At last I reached the top of Gold Ridge, which I believe begins down in Miners Bowl. So I didn't really climb Gold Ridge. I merely got to its highpoint the sort of hard, roundabout way.



Someone uses Gold Ridge Highpoint for their own personal party spot.



I helped myself to one of their beers and enjoyed it on the service road back to the Notch.

Ha! Triggered TWO memories:

1) Gully super steep, check! That was the last ski run of my life, some 15 years ago. Skied down in a blizzard on my 210cm Olins, was a blast.

2) Rode my bike up Mt. Waterman 20+ years ago, and found a stashed 12-pk of Busch. Was feeling sick from climbing too fast (drive from sea level + speedy ascent by bike), so I stashed the brews...and never saw them again!

Looks like it was a nice day for a stroll.

Stealing another persons beer is a pretty F'ed thing to do. Even if it is "Busch". Just saying.

hillbasher wrote: ↑Stealing another persons beer is a pretty F'ed thing to do. Even if it is "Busch". Just saying.

Interesting perspective.

If I had the means and the strength, I would have "stolen" all of that crap and felt very good about packing out so much litter. It was not a campsite at an established campground, or even along a trail. It wasn't even within the ski resort boundary. Plus, they had an illegal BBQ setup.

Hey Sean, I hope you realize that was mostly posted tongue in cheek. You know, kidding? I probably would have done the same if the beer was cool enough. Nothing worse than warm beer, except maybe a beer thief. LOL

hillbasher wrote: ↑Hey Sean, I hope you realize that was mostly posted tongue in cheek. You know, kidding? I probably would have done the same if the beer was cool enough. Nothing worse than warm beer, except maybe a beer thief. LOL

Ah, okay. I wasn't sure. The beer was ice cold, by the way. But I don't really care for Busch either, which is why I only stole one of the three cans up there.

I have actually spent the night with a couple of buddies a little higher up that same ridge, closer to the top of Thunder. One of the guys I was with actually carried an ice chest filled with beer and ice all the way up from the top of the lift. Stupid is as stupid does I always say, but I wasn't the one carrying it so I didn't mind. Had cold beer that night and the next morning.