When we reach Baldy South there is a group of 10 or more people up there, with the youngest I saw maybe being 50(?). I am pretty much mentally put in my place, and I sincerely hope I am still doing stuff like this when I am their age.

When I come puffing up the ridge to the peak like Thomas the Tank Engine I look at them all and say “well crap, why didn’t anyone tell me there was a shuttle bus up here?!?!”

They all laugh and we carry on… down a massive scree slope to the connecting ridge to Baldy West.

did I mention I hate scree? I really really do.

It felt like it took me about 20-30 minutes longer to get down this side than it did for Sean and Jon… and by the end I was physically done. I hate loose ground under my feet, and with no real path to follow it was just painful to try and find a route that didn’t involve relying on loose rock to support me on a slope. I get to the bottom and my legs are basically rubber.. I fall forwards onto what I thought would be a soft snowbank, and pretty much bounce right off.

We sit for a bit and watch a guy try and pick his way up to the West peak, and I decide that in the condition I am in there is absolutely no way I am climbing anything like that. I agree to hike up to a small group of trees at the base of the climbing / scrambling part of the peak, and I am gonna hang out with Bono while Sean and Jon get their 3rd peak of the day.

Aside from the occasional voice and Bono’s whining and farting, there isn’t a sound to be heard. There was no wind, no birds, no traffic… nothing. I lay out on my raincoat, use my backpack as a pillow (it works really well), and I am pretty sure I had a short nap on the top of a mountain. Awesome

Jon and Sean come back, I gather up my stuff and we are off down the inner valley to go back to the car. Jon tells me “the quickest way down from here is to slide over the snow, seriously”.

My response? “yeah, but only if you are stark raving mad!”

They go ripping down after telling me that if I wasn’t going to slide I had to create my own ladder by stepping into the slope and packing the snow. I do this, but even this is causing a bit of a slide to happen. I’m maybe 1/10 of the distance covered by snow and the other 3 are all at the bottom yelling at me to slide.. it is safe and much faster.

“I’m not gonna do it, so get comfortable”

Jon: “cmon, do it!”

with my arms fully extended to either side I yell down “comfort zone………………………………………….me!!! are you gonna catch me if I fall?”

Jon: “no, but Just do it! Trust me!”

“I don’t trust you!” (laughing)

Jon: “Well then (pointing at Sean), trust him!”

“I can’t trust him! I hardly know him.. there is no basis for comparison!”

As this exchange is going on I am starting to walk / slide a bit faster and I make it to the half way point without much trouble. I get down the second half and stop with about 1/10 of the snow slope remaining and I admit to them the sliding wasn’t so bad, but if I fell I was pretty much dead. foreshadowing? just a little bit.

I go to make steps for the last bit and fall forward. I am sure at this point each of my eyes were about as big as the sun, and what came next was just pure instinct. I didn’t want to go flying off to the rock face first so I first tried to spin myself around and then anything that could dig in was frantically pounding on the slope to stop my progress. apparently this is what they train you to do in some sort of ice / snow course, so I guess I can skip that lesson

If I wasn’t done in before this, I was certainly done now… and there was still a looong way to go to get to the car. More scree (yay!), a creek bed that provided some much needed water, and then finally down to forest hiking on moss covered ground again. Momentum carried me for much of the way, and a determination to make it to the bar for a much deserved beer and some food to celebrate.

My first scramble ever was officially complete! 6 and a half hours (likely a much faster time without me), 8.5 km and over 1300m in elevation gain. That is 5.2 miles and over 4500 feet for you non-metric types.

Was it a challenge? you bet. Would I do it again? you bet

as I told Jon at the end, this is a hike (all 3 peaks) I would do after having a few easier ones under my belt, not as my first big one of the year. The scramble book rates Baldy main as easy (and it was), but I’d have to say adding the other 2 peaks kicks it up to moderate.

Best lines of the day:

“I’m gonna have to write a book.. Scrambles and hiking for the fat guy” (me)

“My hands feel like angel’s wings” (Jon after sliding down the snow)

pictures to come, and if you can’t wait go to Jon’s blog here

Click on the Gallery link on the top bar.