Howdy All,
Sally, Marilyn and I summited Mt. Baldy via the Zen chute on New Year's Day. This was my first crampon climb since my shoulder fracture a year ago. I was both eager and anxious to climb the Baldy Bowl -- it has always felt somewhat malevolent. We donned microspikes at Manker to walk up the icy road. Someone ahead of us had broken trail in several inches of new snow. At the Ski Hut, we switched to snowshoes -- this was my mistake -- I was expecting a large amount of powder in the lower bowl. We didn't go far before changing into crampons. Initially, we went up to the right of the Zen Chute. After cramponing over rocks, we dropped into the chute and started the climb. In typical Baldy fashion, I was either overheating (no wind) or receiving a snow/ice facial.
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About 100 vertical feet below the Baldy Beach, my shoulders and hips were cramping and another group passed us.
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We finally reached the Baldy Beach.
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Made the final climb from the Baldy Beach to Baldy.
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The summit was being blasted by an artic wind with no shelter, so we passed on taking pictures and starting heading down to find a more protected area for lunch. We saw a large group coming up the Bowl trail -- they actually made a trough which helped us descent without post-holing too terribly.
![Image](https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15781758_1378802258836901_4026152737069120843_n.jpg?oh=4349d195f3f91d01d16dbfcf5fdf264d&oe=58D8578F)
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After lunch, we donned snowshoes and continued to descend.
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Took our snowshoes off at the Ski Hut and walked carefully down the slushy, muddy trail back to Manker.
To be continued...