Snow Hiking in Los Angeles: The Baldy Bowl Trail

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Kyle Kuns

This is the second post in a series on snow hiking in Los Angeles. My first post in this series emphasized an opportunity to hike at relatively low elevations closer to the edge of the city where a recent storm is required for snow to be present and no chains or special equipment are needed.

This one goes to the opposite extreme where snow is guaranteed until sometime in spring. At 10,064 feet, Mt. Baldy is the highest point in Los Angeles County. The trailhead from Manker Flats is above 6,100 feet and can often be in snow as well. There is a ski area and restaurant up at Baldy Notch (elevation over 7,800 feet) and it’s worth taking a look at the weather conditions posted on their website (which typically includes an update on road conditions) before making the trip. Unlike treks at lower elevations, it is important to carry chains. It is also important to have microspikes, crampons and/or snowshoes as deep snow and icy conditions are common. Due to over 3,900 feet of gain on this hike, conditions can change dramatically from a thin layer of mostly slippery ice to snow knee deep or more. Therefore, I now carry both microspikes and snowshoes.

View of West Mt. Baldy from Mt. Baldy with Catalina Island in the distance.

Interestingly, both times I’ve hiked the Baldy Bowl Trail (aka The Ski Hut Trail) in the snow it was with someone I met on Mt. Baldy last summer while I was training to hike to Mt. Whitney. If I didn’t write this blog, I wouldn’t have stayed in contact with either of them.

The first hike was with Charles. At that time, I only had snowshoes and the terrain from the trailhead to the ski hut was mostly soil with patches of ice and some stretches of shallow snow and I was better off carrying my snowshoes up to the ski hut on my back pack. So, this portion of the trek was slow going and a little slippery for me. Charles had crampons and experienced no problems.

Mt. San Antonio Ski Hut

At the ski hut, it didn’t look good from a time perspective for me to make the summit. There were others there who all had crampons. One of them had an ice axe and was about to head straight up the bowl. Another had hiked the bowl in snow numerous times. It was getting late and we all had concerns about the safety of my hiking the trail without crampons as it would get more icy and slippery after the mountain began to block the sun shining on the trail. Charles could easily make the summit because his crampons would make it easy to negotiate the trail after dusk. So, Charles and I agreed that he would go on ahead while I put on my snowshoes. I would turn back after around 2:00 pm and talk to him later. After everyone else left and I had my snowshoes on, I met a couple skiers who trekked up to the ski hut (which is nowhere near the maintained ski slopes) and were eventually planning to ski down a ridge that had been very good to them in the past. At this point I realized that there were at least as many people hiking this trail in the snow as there are without it and that there is a large range of equipment used and activities pursued.

A good thing about so many people hiking this trail in snow is the trail is made clear by those who arrive early.

It was a pleasure to get my snowshoes on and start snowshoeing in deeper snow as I made my way up the trail. It turned out to be quicker for me to hike through the rocky base of the bowl in snow than it is in normal conditions as enough snow filled in the space between rocks and made a more uniform surface.

Looking up at the ridge from the base of Baldy Bowl.

After passing through the comparatively flat base of the bowl the trail gets steep and the snow became much deeper. As a result, the advantages of snowshoes on this part of the trail became apparent. My feet didn’t go as far into the deep snow and the Televators on my snowshoes which support raising my heal while keeping the snowshoe flush with the terrain made it significantly easier to handle the steeper slopes.

One of the steeper portions of the Baldy Bowl Trail.

With my new found speed, it didn’t take long to pass Charles. It soon became clear that I would have a shot at making the summit after all. I caught up with another hiker named Jim and joined him for the last part of the way to the summit.

Kyle Kuns at Mt. Baldy (photo by Jim).

There were excellent views all the way down the mountain. I was once again slowed below the ski hut allowing Charles to catch up with me after he also made the summit.

View looking down the Baldy Bowl Trail and across toward Thunder Mountain, Telegraph Peak, Timber Mountain, Cucamonga Peak, and Ontario Peak. (click to enlarge).

The next hike with Scott was significantly different and he also blogged about it. Learning from my last trek, I bought a pair of Kahtoola microspikes which worked fantastically on the lower part of the trail where there was more soil and slippery ice than snow. These are lightweight enough (and would have been very helpful on my trek to Mt. Whitney) that I’ll be bringing them on this year’s summer trip to the High Sierras. A key component of this hike was the weather. The hike began under clear skies with clouds off far in the distance below us.

Clouds off in the distance as seen from the Baldy Bowl Trail below the ski hut.

We saw the clouds rolling in as we made our way up the mountain. After we crossed the base of the bowl and started making our way up the steeper part of the mountain, the clouds started reaching our level. The view south began to be completely blocked by incoming clouds.

Clouds rolling in along the steeper part of the Baldy Bowl Trail.

When the trail met the ridge the view was split between clouds coming up quickly from the south and clear skies to the north.

Clouds to the south, clear skies to the north along the Ridge of the Baldy Bowl Trail. (Click to enlarge)

As we moved higher, the clouds continued moving in quickly and began to darken causing me to start to think about the possibility of getting caught in a snowstorm.

View south from the ridge along the Baldy Bowl Trail. (click to enlarge)

As impressive as the speed that the clouds were overtaking us was their depth. At least a few hours from the trailhead, it became unclear whether or not we could summit and make it back down the mountain before snow started. In addition, Scott was breaking in new hiking boots and it was his first time snowshoeing causing him to be more tired than on his previous summit. So, we both decided that we wanted to head back.

Tall clouds starting to overtake the higher elevations. (Click to enlarge).

The way down was filled with amazing views of fast swirling clouds. The sky was so turbulent that the scene would usually change before I could snap a photo.

Swirling and turbulent clouds made an amazing trek down to the trailhead.

At times it felt mostly sunny with only a hint of the cloud formations.

View along the base of the bowl just above the Ski Hut. (click to enlarge)

At others we were in the mist of the clouds.

Scott Turner photographing the mist just below the Ski Hut.

Once we got below the clouds we were treated to a pretty clear view out to the ocean.

View out toward Catalina Island down near the bottom of the Baldy Bowl Trail.

I had two very different days where I thought about different challenges. Hiking in the snow can require special equipment like snow shoes to be safe. The trail looks different in the snow and will be significantly harder to follow in a storm where lack of visibility can become a serious issue and the trail can disappear with snowfall. Driving home could become a problem without chains. All this and more should be considered in determining when to turn back. The mountain will be there another day. As recently as last Sunday someone died on this mountain. This is a hard climb without snow. If you go, be careful and be willing to turn back too early rather than too late. That said, this place is amazing and I’ve taken numerous photos of the Baldy Bowl Trail these past two years on over ten assents. If you’re ready for it, it’s a must do.

Between Two Layers Of Clouds

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Kyle Kuns

Last Wednesday I woke up to dark cloudy skies with no sunshine in sight. Rain looked imminent. The clouds were low and I couldn’t see the peak of Mt. Lukens behind my house. The forecasted storm appeared to be arriving on schedule. I checked the weather channel application on my phone and noticed an interesting change from the forecast of the night before. The new weather prediction at my house (indicated with a cloudy icon with rain) was for a 50% chance of rain. On the other hand, Mt. Wilson (a half hour away) showed a 10% chance of rain (indicated by a sunny icon with some clouds). I contacted my friend Lorenzo who lives on the Mojave Desert side of the San Gabriel Mountains and learned that he was seeing sunny skies from his house. Being on the front end of the incoming storm, it looked like a prime opportunity to do some cloud chasing. Even if I didn’t find myself touching clouds, I imagined that the sky would be magnificent.

View from Eaton Saddle looking down Eaton Canyon.

I decided to drive up to Eaton Saddle and hike up to San Gabriel Peak (next to Mt. Wilson). San Gabriel Peak is only a little more that a mile from Eaton Saddle. Therefore, if the weather changed on me I wouldn’t be that far from my car. The view from Eaton Saddle was promising. Clouds were making their way up through Eaton Canyon below me and clouds were forming over a thousand feet above me. It appeared the clouds from below would make it high enough up the mountains to cover some of the peaks. I quickly hiked the short way up to San Gabriel Peak hoping to get there before it was covered in clouds. Once on the peak however, the clouds below started to look like they would burn off and they were closer to looking like a layer of smog as they formed a fairly uniform surface. I couldn’t see the city below, but I could see the ocean off in the distance. Initially I was disappointed. While it was a great view, the promise of having an exciting day of clouds overtaking the peaks below like I experienced before was unlikely to be replicated.

View South from San Gabriel Peak at 10:22 am.

San Gabriel Peak at 6,161 feet is the tallest peak in its immediate vicinity and it’s also small in area at the peak (about the size of a large living room). I find the ability to stand in one spot and look down on the terrain far off into the distance in all directions makes it one of the forests best places to be. So, I didn’t remain disappointed long. I was unsure what to do however. I didn’t have enough time to go on a much longer hike. I couldn’t possibly get beyond where I had been a couple days earlier with family and friends and my preference for variety made me resistant to simply doing that again.

View north from San Gabriel Peak at 10:21 am.

Normally I don’t stay in one spot longer than a half an hour, and staying that long usually involves eating lunch. I’m usually trying to get my hike completed before I run out of daylight, or exploring new areas and want to see more, or I have somewhere else I need to be requiring me to get down the mountain. As I was starting to get a little antsy walking around the summit, taking in the views, and trying to come up with a plan of what to do next; the phrase don’t just do something, sit there popped into my head. So, I sat on the bench made from a steel c-section beam and enjoyed being on the summit. By that time the clouds were starting to get a little more puffy below me and more clouds were starting to form above me. I decided to stay a while and see if something interesting developed.

Steel C-section bench with journal and pen.

Fortunately, I remembered I had a small journal and pen in my backpack. I realized I could invest some time jotting down ideas and working on clearing up my thinking on a number of things I’m trying to figure out. Among the many things I worked on was fine tuning my ideas to create two new weekly series of blog posts which I began a couple days later (Weekly Gallery Update and Weekly Nature Question). While jotting ideas down, the clouds slowly began getting more dominant in the sky. The progression moving from mostly sunny skies to two layers of storm clouds was something I found exciting to behold.

View west from San Gabriel Peak at 12:26 pm with some clouds beginning to make it over Brown Mountain.

View west from San Gabriel Peak at 1:33 pm with clouds starting to make it over Brown Mountain and Mt. Lukens from below as the clouds become more ominous from above.

View west from San Gabriel Peak at 2:00 pm with the clouds having overtaken Brown Mountain and Mt. Lukens from below as the clouds from above make it over me on San Gabriel Peak and it begins to sprinkle shortly thereafter.

The timing of this progression was perfect. It didn’t start to sprinkle on me until it was time for me to leave anyway. It had turned out to be a gorgeous and unexpectedly productive day on the mountain. As I turned to leave the peak, I admired the view of Mt. Wilson and the sunny skies beyond to the east. A few minutes later I saw a rainbow looking north. The rest of the way back to my car I thought about the fact that I was actually fairly productive while having this wonderful day on the mountain. I could easily bring some reading and plan to write and think through ideas on future outings where the hike isn’t the central component–this one being just over two miles round trip. While I will continue to mostly go on longer hikes where the focus is on either training or exploring new areas, I plan to try a couple days a month that are more like this experience and see if I’m as productive.

View east from San Gabriel Peak toward Mt. Wilson.

Looking North at Rainbow from the San Gabriel Peak trail.

Looking North at Rainbow from the Upper San Gabriel Peak trail.

I’m Becoming a Cloud Chaser

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Kyle Kuns

On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, I hiked to Mt. Lowe with my friend Etienne starting from the Upper Sunset Ridge Trail. It rained the previous couple days and it was raining Saturday night when Etienne and I were planning our Sunday hike. Since I usually avoid hiking in the rain, I had already ruled out a solo hike. So, I’m definitely not a storm chaser. As we texted back and forth and I was deciding whether or not I wanted to go, I studied the hourly weather report. It indicated that at 7 am the chance of rain would go down to 10% and remain that way for the rest of the day. Significantly, the weather icon on my weather application showed the sun with clouds. I’ve found that hiking just before a storm or just after it are amazing times to be on the mountain. A lot of what amazes me has to do with what the clouds are like at those times. It was the possibility to walk up into the clouds, make it over them, and see the wonderful light generated as the sun reflects off of them or breaks through them that inspired me to accept Etienne’s invitation a go on this hike with the potential for rain in the forecast. After I sent him my last text agreeing to go, I realized I’m becoming a cloud chaser.

When we left my house it looked like it could rain at any moment and there was no sign of the sun. The clouds were low and we couldn’t see any peaks. This meant we were at least guaranteed to be able to walk in them. It actually didn’t take long to reach them. We were among them about half way up the Sunset Ridge Trail.

About half way up the Sunset Ridge trail among the clouds.

It turned out that they were moving up the mountain with us essentially filling in all of Millard Canyon as they made their way over the San Gabriels. Depending upon whether or not it was misty where I was hiking, I felt like I was either walking next to them or through them. The haunting impact that the clouds create allowing the burned trees to stand in silhouette always appeals to me. The trees stand out in a way that they no longer can on sunny days having lost all or most of their foliage. The view out is temporarily gone and once again these trees dominate the viewable landscape. Under these conditions, the vegetation that is making a comeback appears more vibrant as moisture and the grey surroundings help emphasize their green presence.

As we made it higher along the Sunset Ridge Trail we started to feel more like we were in the clouds instead of next to them.

Arriving near the top of the Sunset Ridge Trail allowed us to view out toward the city for the first time. We finally saw the sun breaking through the clouds and some patches of blue sky. However, we were not over the clouds and couldn’t see far off into the distance. Mostly we could see the path they were making over the mountains.

Near the top of the Sunset Ridge Trail looking toward Echo Mountain.

Although our view out toward the ocean was still blocked by clouds, the initial view up the Upper Mt. Lowe Railway Trail yielded plenty of hope that our continued trek up the mountain would lead us to a view above the clouds.

View up the Upper Mt. Lowe Railway Trail.

Soon it became clear that the blue sky we saw was a temporary break in the clouds and not a preview of sunshine and views over the clouds waiting for us further up the mountain. By the time we were heading up the East Mt. Lowe Trail along the south slope of Mt. Lowe, it was obvious that the clouds were rising in height as they made it over the ridge line that includes Muir Peak and Inspiration Point only to drop down again into Eaton Canyon to the east and Grand Canyon to the West. The odds of hiking over the clouds on this day were rapidly diminishing.

Clouds coming over the ridge line including Muir Peak to the left, Inspiration Point at the saddle in the center and two unnamed peaks to the right.

Turning the corner and heading up the east slope of Mt. Lowe, Mt. Disappointment and San Gabriel Peak were clearly visible below the clouds. Unlike a prior day, the clouds were going over San Gabriel Peak instead of around it.

Etienne walking up the east slope of Mt. Lowe next to the clouds as they made their way up Eaton Canyon.

Heading up the north slope of Mt. Lowe, the clouds were swirling around the mountain coming up from both canyons. Watching the flow of the clouds was loosely similar to watching waves come in on a rocky beach with cliffs. The clouds were swirling around, moving down and then up, coming together and meeting from the two canyons and hiding San Gabriel Peak and Mt. Disappointment in the process, and then moving apart and allowing a patch of blue to be seen.

View of Mt. Disappointment and San Gabriel Peak from the south slope of Mt. Lowe. Mt. Markham is overcome by clouds.

Etienne in the clouds on Mt. Lowe

The only remaining question to be answered was what would the conditions be like on the peak of Mt. Lowe. Would we be engulfed in clouds as was the case of Mt. Markham during time we were able to try and view it, or would we have moments where we could look out a reasonable distance as it was clear one could do periodically from San Gabriel Peak and Mt. Disappointment? As we made it to the junction with the Upper Sam Merrill Trail, we were already in the clouds. A large part of lunch was shared in the clouds at the summit. However, there were some nice moments when the swirl of clouds rose high enough to allow a little view.

View from Mt. Lowe when the clouds rose high enough for us to no longer be in them.

The way back down yielded similar experiences with the clouds until we got to a point on the Upper Mt. Lowe Railway Trail where we far enough under the clouds that we could see out to the ocean.

View from the Upper Mt. Lowe Railway Trail

The clouds were now higher than in the morning when they blocked the view of the city and lower canyons. The rest of our day was under the clouds with great clear views of the canyons, city, and ocean beyond. For me, chasing clouds is a dynamic experience worth repeating whenever possible.

Being Able To Decide What Weather I Want To Be In

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Kyle Kuns

Hiking has taught me to pay more attention to the weather. As of last Sunday, I’ve now internalized the reality that there are numerous days in the year when I can decide what weather I want to be in. Living within an hour of both the Pacific Ocean and trailheads leading to peaks as high as Mt. Baldy’s 10,064 foot elevation yields opportunities to take advantage of elevation differences.

Last Saturday, I went on a family and friends hike. My wife and I left our house under cloudy and misty sky’s. We didn’t see an blue skies or the sun until we were partway up Mt. Baldy road. By the time we made it to Icehouse Canyon to start our hike, we were out of the clouds and into clear sunny skies. Coming down the Chapman Trail allowed us to see out of the canyon and view the cloud cover that most people in the LA area remained below for the day.

View of cloud cover down Icehouse Canyon with Mt. Wilson and San Gabriel Peak off in the distance.

On Sunday, I woke up to the same weather. The ground was wet and the air was misty with clouds as far as I could see. Initially I was disappointed as I had planned to play paddle tennis with my cousin in Marina Del Rey. The weather report showed 30% chance of rain and I decided it wasn’t worth the risk to drive out and have the courts become unplayable after a few minutes of rain.

At that moment I finally realized that staying below the cloud cover could be a choice instead of a situation I had no control over. I walked to the end of my block and looked at Mt. Lukens. The clouds were low enough covering half the height of the mountain that it looked possible that I could get above the clouds again as I did the day before.

So, I set out to go on a short hike to San Gabriel Peak where I had once unintentionally found myself above the clouds before and it was one of the peaks that were above the clouds the day before. Driving up to Eaton Saddle, I found myself in the clouds and either in mist or light rain. I drove higher up to Mt. Wilson only to find it was also still in the clouds. Admittedly, this reality was humbling. Perhaps I didn’t have a choice after all. Fortunately, I continued up Angeles Crest Highway and by Newcomb’s Ranch I found myself in the sun. Having only brought a small snack and water for a short hike, I settled on hiking the Mt. Waterman Trail.

At the trailhead, it was completely sunny and clear. However, as I followed the trail heading east up the mountain toward the Kratka Ridge, I started seeing a light mist as the clouds were just making it over the Ridge.

A light mist of clouds making it’s way over the Kratka Ridge.

I thought that it was possible that I wasn’t so much above the clouds as I was in front of their path over the mountain range. So, I picked up my pace trying to make it up to the summit before clouds had a chance to overtake it. It didn’t take long after the trail changed direction and for me to reach high enough ground to find myself once again in the sun.

Back in the sun looking across the cloud cover toward Mt. Baldy.

With clear skies at the summit, I enjoyed the uncommon opportunity to stare both up at a cloudless sky and across the cloudscape.

View from Mt. Waterman toward the east and across the cloudscape toward Mt. Baden-Powell

Looking toward the west where nothing is tall enough to rise above the cloudscape as it makes it’s way over the mountains.

Making my way down toward my car found me inside the clouds as they made their way over the Kratka Ridge. This suggested to me that earlier I was at times both over and in front of the clouds as they moved north. Along the way down the mountain I felt a few drops, but mostly just some mist.

In the clouds only a couple hundred feet below the summit.

Once I got to the point in the trail that I started heading back west across the north face of Mt. Waterman, I found myself exiting the clouds.

Back in the sun and clear skies along the north face of Mt. Waterman.

On the ride home I thought about how liberating it felt to be able to decide what weather I wanted to be in for the day. Playing around the edge of the clouds, being just above them, just in front of them, and at times inside them or under them (at home and on the way to and from the trail) made for a wonderfully dynamic day.

A Gorgeous Icy Cold Snap on Saturday’s Hike to Mt. Islip

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Kyle Kuns

Last Saturday, the view of large patches of interesting cloud patterns in an otherwise blue sky along the 210 freeway heading toward Angeles Crest Highway already indicated the possibility that our hike to Mt. Islip would be weather enhanced. By the time we (family and friends) passed Cloudburst Summit we were driving in and out of the clouds we saw rolling in from below. From the trailhead at Islip Saddle the temperature gauge on the car dashboard read 36 degrees F. At that point I knew we were in for a treat.

It didn’t take long hiking up the Pacific Crest Trail heading to Windy Gap to find ourselves walking into the cloudy mist.

About to enter the cloudy mist along the Pacific Crest Trail

At first the mist wasn’t as moist or dense as I thought it would be as I headed into it. Prior to reaching Little Jimmy Campground, I met a PCT thru-hiker (trail name Viper) who mentioned his water froze overnight. While I felt a little bad for Viper enduring such an unexpected cold snap this time of year, I found myself hopeful that something interesting would be lurking up above.

Light cloudy mist along the Pacific Crest Trail before reaching Little Jimmy.

Typically I really enjoy the trek along the Islip Ridge Trail with excellent views into the Crystal Lake Basin. However, the weather made this stretch of our hike even more magnificent. By the time we had reached above 7600′ there was more moisture in the air, it felt colder, and ice had formed in the trees (but not on the ground).

Ice in the pine needles

The increased cloud density made depth perception more prominent than usual and the dead trees took on a more delineated character with ice clinging to their branches.

Ice clinging to the branches of dead trees standing out in the grey mist.

At times there was so much ice in the trees it looked like it snowed.

Icy Trees

But the ice that fell to the ground proved that it didn’t actually snow.

Ice on the ground that fell beneath the trees.

Near the summit the sun broke through the clouds.

The sun breaking through the clouds with little patches of blue sky and icy trees.

Above 8100′ we passed through the clouds yielding a dramatic view of ice covered trees against the blue sky–especially colorful after trekking through the grey mist for some time.

The view looking up to the sky as we passed above the clouds that continued to flow around the mountain below the summit.

View of the clouds coming in from the south and making their way around the summit of Mt. Islip

View from Mt. Islip looking toward the Mojave Desert as the clouds flowed around Mt. Islip and broke up into smaller formations as they made their way north.

View walking down through the clouds on the Islip Ridge Trail

Instead of returning to Windy Gap, we took the Mt. Islip Trail down to Little Jimmy and found ourselves in an area free from the clouds as they flowed over Windy Gap and Islip Saddle breaking up as they continued moving north.

View along the Mt. Islip Trail connecting the Islip Ridge Trail and Little Jimmy.

As we made it back down the Pacific Crest Trail we found ourselves in the sun most of the way with great views of the Mojave Desert. Looking down the trail however, we saw clouds making their way over Islip Saddle.

View heading down the Pacific Crest Trail looking toward Islip Saddle

At Islip Saddle we found ourselves walking through the cloudy mist one more time before making it to our cars. Along the drive home we passed in and out of the clouds driving down Angeles Crest Highway until we passed Cloudburst Summit once again returning below the clouds until we engage in another trip like this.

View from the Pacific Crest Trail as we are about to enter the clouds one last time before making it to our cars.

Hiking Angeles Forest

Tag Archives: Hiking in clouds

Snow Hiking in Los Angeles: The Baldy Bowl Trail

Between Two Layers Of Clouds

I’m Becoming a Cloud Chaser

Being Able To Decide What Weather I Want To Be In

A Gorgeous Icy Cold Snap on Saturday’s Hike to Mt. Islip

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