Mt Baldy 6/13/09

[Cy Kaicener]

We left Manker Flats at 5.00 am in a white out after driving up in fog and thick clouds all the way from Mountain Ave. The gain was about 4000 feet in six hours round trip. There were periods of sun and clear sky periodically but unfortunately neither of us had cameras. San Gorgonio looked socked in so Tina's trip report of the nine peaks should be interesting. It was cold and invigorating, but you did not feel it until you stopped. On the way back we counted 238 people in a three mile stretch and then gave up counting

[phydeux]

Drove up Hwy 330 this morning about 6AM to do Delamar Mtn from the Cougar Crest Trail. It was pea soup, heavy drizzle, "wtf am I driving in this crap", foggy clouds-against-the-mountains all the way up to Running Springs. Once past RS it cleared up and was a beautiful day around Big Bear. Looking out across the Big Bear Valley from the PCT about noon you could see clouds pushing up the Santa Ana River Canyon higher than the ridge between there and Big Bear Valley.

Really worry was for the cyclists doing the "Ride around the Bear" 100 mile bike ride. I saw three going UP Hwy 330 at about 6:15AM into the 'soup'; as narrow as the road is I would have quit right then.

[FIGHT ON]

On the way back we counted 238 people in a three mile stretch and then gave up counting

so funny! did it look like my avatar?

[NormaR]

Cy,

i hiked up the Bear Flat Trail from the village today and sure enjoyed getting above the clouds around 9k feet. when i got to the summit today there had to be 60 people up there! i have never seen such a crowd.

it was raining at 6:30 am on my way to Baldy, and i sure enjoyed the perfect weather once we broke through the clouds. like you i could not see San G but had a clear view of the San J summit and took photos of the clouds hovering all around Baden-Powell.

[Cy Kaicener]

Norma - I am looking forward to seeing your pictures.
It was hailing in Yosemite. A hiker fell to his death on Half Dome
http://www.mydesert.com/article/2009061 ... +Half+Dome

[Ellen]

Howdy Cy and Norma,

Sounds like it was an awesome day on Baldy -- I have to get back over there. I drove through fog on my way to Palm Springs and had to use my windshield wipers. We saw the cloud cover over Beaumont/Banning as we hiked up Skyline -- San Gorgonio was well above it. You could also see the moisture in Palm Springs, which made for a very humid beginning to Skyline.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[NormaR]

Cy,

here is a photo of the crowd as i reached the summit: http://picasaweb.google.com/ryan.norma8 ... 6052424674

all the pix are here: http://picasaweb.google.com/ryan.norma8 ... rail61309#

all the best,
norma

p.s. very sad about the Half Dome hiker. Yosemite gives me great joy and i hate to hear when something awful happens there. i have fallen on horizontal wet rock many times. when it's vertical, the danger is magnified.

[Cy Kaicener]

Hi Norma - Thanks for the pictures. We are thinking of doing Baldy again this Saturday with Barry Holchin who is leading the Sierra Club hike to c2c on July 11

[NormaR]

have a great hike Cy!