Mt. Baldy: 09-21-2008

Post by **HikeUp** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 6:35 pm

I completely forgot to call in for a Cucamonga Wilderness permit so I abandoned the idea of going up to Etiwanda and decided instead to see if anything was new on Baldy.

No prayer flags this time.

Went up the ski hut trail and down the backbone. Plenty of water at the ski hut and the trail is in its usual good condition.

Clear skis, 15 mph wind on top (gusts to 20 mph). Met 4 people who stated they were starting to train for an ascent of Denali in 2012. They had already hiked up San Jacinto and San Gorgonio. A good start! Wish them luck.

Looking east...

I vaguely remember a discussion on one of these forums about a USGS benchmark on Baldy. Well, I had noticed a 'button' last month and this time I looked closely. This quarter sized 'button' is located maybe 75 feet north of the Baldy plaque...

aka Baldy's nipple.

To offer a perspective on its location, here's a picture looking south with my yellow gps unit sitting next to the 'button'...

FIGHT ON · Post by **FIGHT ON** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 6:47 pm

I never noticed that before. That looks like a pretty small rock it's on. Does it seem like it is the tip of an iceberg? Looks like somebody could just pick it up and move easily. Aren't these things supposed to be at the highest point? Isn't where the plaque is higher? I wonder if someone moved it from there. Did you stand on it to see if it moves?

HikeUp wrote:

Forgot to get a permit? Wow you really are in a funk.

JMunaretto · Post by **JMunaretto** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 7:17 pm

that's it, from now on, all hikes up to Baldy will "Mt Baldy's Nipple via Ski Hut trail", "Baldy Village to the Nipple", or "The Notch, then the Backbone, and up to the Nipple"

bertfivesix · Post by **bertfivesix** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 8:24 pm

Now it's going to be a race of forum members to be the first up there to snap a perverted picture with Baldy's Nipple.

Post by **HikeUp** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 8:29 pm

bertfivesix wrote:Now it's going to be a race of forum members to be the first up there to snap a perverted picture with Baldy's Nipple.

Heh...I dare you to get a matching tattoo and pose with the original!

JMunaretto · Post by **JMunaretto** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 9:37 pm

Look, the right nipple says USC! I knew it was him!

Funyan005 · Post by **Funyan005** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 10:16 pm

The similarities are disturbing indeed!

What time did you go up? Doesn't look too crowded on top

Post by **Taco** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 2:12 am

Jesus, Joseph....

Post by **HikeUp** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 7:34 am

I'm going to have to put "Not Safe For Work" in the title soon.

Funyan005: I got to the top about 9:30 and there was 1 guy who had passed me already there. A group that had spent the night in the ski hut had already headed back down (after watching the sunrise I suppose). The whole time I was on the summit there was no more than about 10 people at any one time. Saw very few people heading up the backbone as I was heading down toward the notch. I expected the usual 50+ people on top.

Rumpled · Post by **Rumpled** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 9:06 am

Well, I did think it odd that Baldy wouldn't have some kind of survey marker.
That's a nontypical marker and I haven't found it in the USGS database. I'll have to do a little more research.

Thanks for posting the pics.

The rest of the discussion, well you guys are all sick.

Post by **HikeUp** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 10:06 am

Could it be just a survey marker at the point where the LA/SB county line bends? Perhaps it is PID = EV3735 (Old Baldy Peak Cairn) which has the same coordinates as the peak. Placed in 1898!

http://www.peakbagging.com/Peak%20Lists/CAco2.html

FIGHT ON · Post by **FIGHT ON** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 4:21 pm

Rumpled wrote:The rest of the discussion, well you guys are all sick.

YEAH! I'm with you Rumpled, YOU GUYS ARE ALL SICK! 8)

FIGHT ON · Post by **FIGHT ON** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 5:05 pm

JMunaretto wrote:
Look, the right nipple says USC! I knew it was him!

It says USGS YOU DORK!
THIS IS UTTER NONSENSE
IF ANYTHING IT SAYS JM ON THE BOTTOM!
NOW WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?!
YER JUST MAD CUZ OHIO ST. LOST!