Mount Baldy XVII
December 27, 2024
Mountain height: 2192 m
Elevation gain: 800 m
Ascent time: 2:00
Descent time: 1:20
Solo scramble.
Mount Baldy was
once my “go-to” mountain in the north. However, I was surprised to find out
that more than 10 years had passed since I last visited the north summit. With
very little snow on the front range peaks and cloudy conditions to the west,
this was a great opportunity for a nostalgic ascent of Kane’s standard route up
the west side. My first ascent of that route occurred 24 years earlier!
The trip was
wonderful from beginning to end. I almost forgot what a terrific route this is,
featuring interesting terrain, some fun scrambling, beautiful rock, and excellent views. I did briefly
check out the downclimb off the north summit towards the south, but there was
enough snow to make me turn tail and run back to the north. The descent was
fast and also enjoyable.
An always fun trip
on an always fun mountain!
Mary Barclay's Mountain on the other side of Barrier Lake. We once attempted to summit by crossing the lake in winter.
Out of the trees and onto the rock
Here Comes The Sun
Looking up the famous downclimb
The view to the right side of it
Bigger view with the downclimb at the left
Solid rock for fun scrambling
The summit appear near the right
The famous rock bench in the foreground has survived all these years
One of the coolest feature of the route is when the trail wraps around the mountain at this point
And there's lots of stunning rock to look at along the way
A little scrambling here
More beautiful rock and blue sky
One of the best parts of the trail, as it wraps around the mountain
Same as above
The bluest skies of the day
The summit
There are several routes to the top, ranging from steep hiking to moderate scrambling
Skogan and Gilligan peaks in the distant centre
Summit view over Barrier Lake
Summit view to the west
Heading south towards the downclimb
Baldy South and West in the foreground
Looking down some of the downclimb. The snow on the ridge below would have made for dicey conditions.
The east side of the peak is very steep
Heading back to the north summit
Views on descent
Back at the "wraparound" section
The only wildlife encounter of the day
I used the bypass route on return. It too features awesome rock.
The bypass trail neatly rejoins the main trail up ahead
Last view of the true summit (left), and South summit
The End
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