Mt. Harwood is a peak that the Devil’s Backbone Trail traverses the south side of connecting Baldy Notch to Mt. Baldy.  The way to the summit isn’t obvious and is part use trail and part scree scramble.

View looking toward Mt. Harwood heading down the Devil’s Backbone Trail from Mt. Baldy.

Since hiking to Mt. Baldy is reasonably strenuous on it’s own, most people don’t bother peak bagging Mt. Harwood.  I didn’t the first several times either.  However, on one of my training hikes for Mt. Whitney I met another hiker (Charles) on Mt. Baldy who told me about his summit of Mt. Harwood as well as some science equipment near the summit. I had to see it myself and learn more clearly what the scientists are researching.

Description of the research objective of learning about the movement of the Earth’s crust.

View of the EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory Station with Mt. Harwood in the background.

I enjoyed looking at Mt. Baldy from another vantage point as I headed up to the summit.

View toward Mt. Baldy heading up the scree scramble to Mt. Harwood.

Heading down from the summit and looking toward Mt. Baldy yields probably the most comprehensive view of the last portion of the Devil’s Backbone Trail leading up to Mt. Baldy

View of Devil’s Backbone Trail and Mt. Baldy.