Baldy Conditions

[Cy Kaicener]

Here is an interesting thread
http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=42423

[NormaR]

i was up on Baldy Sunday 1/4/09. a mixed bag of tricks. dirt down below and in areas where the sun has melted the snow. i chose to use crampons once on Register Ridge since i am hiking one-armed due to a shoulder injury. but if you are solid on your feet, you can get decent purchase. of course, pack your crampons just in case. some post-holing on the way down the bowl. the sun is working hard to melt the white stuff.

think snow!

my pix are here: http://picasaweb.google.com/ryan.norma8 ... idgeTrail#

norma

[lilbitmo]

Norma,

Nice Pictures, great report.

We did the Ski Hut West Bowl on Saturday but want to go back this weekend and do Devil's Slide and the Register Ridge. Does anyone have the exact GPS coordinates of where Register Ridge meets Devil's Backbone?

We want the choice of going up the road to the notch or go up register ridge from the bottom and returning either way.

Someone is reporting that the lift folks were trying to deny a ride to a climber at this http://sangabrielmnts.myfreeforum.org/about1100.html at this post on the San Gabriel blog site.

Thanks in advance for any answers.
Lilbitmo

[NormaR]

i don't have coordinates. hopefully someone else will respond. this was my first time on RR. i enjoyed going up. steep, but not too steep and great views. the beauty of the trees up top was stunning.

regarding the lift controversy, sounds like the Resort "has a failure to communicate" clearly...

[Dave G]

Norma, those pictures look familiar ! Mine are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21042415@N ... 153156961/

Libitmo, you really don't need a GPS to find Register Ridge. It's the very obvious north/south ridge just east of the Baldy/Harwood saddle (about 1/4 mile). It bisects the Backbone Trail and continues on up to Harwood. There is a fairly large cairn a couple hundred feet south of the (Backbone) trail. If you start at the bottom, the route runs right into the first switchback of the Ski Hut Trail, though it is much easier to gain the ridge by continuing up the trail about 75 yards past the "Register" (sign-in box), and climbing right.

dave

[Dave G]

PS- The lift restriction is common practice at Baldy when the area is fully open to skiers/boarders, and I've it happen to me twice. One time I was able to "persuade" them to let me on the lift, the other time no. I think the reason you don't hear much about it is due to the few number of days Baldy is actually in full operation.

dave

[lilbitmo]

Thanks to both of you, Norma and Dave.

I've known for a long time where the Register Ridge Trail started, what I was confused about is the upper connection - I know I've passed it on the Backbone but even when I was looking for it I must have passed it without realizing it. Going to fast or thinking it was further away from Harwood and missing it for that reason.

I think we will go up that way, hit Harwood, Baldy, then go back to the notch and come down the road - depending on my hiking partner's mood and tiredness - me, I'm in for all of it.

I'm emailing him now to see what he thinks he can handle.

Lilbitmo