Mt. Baden-Powell again. This time at a more quicker pace up and down.I hiked the 8-mile roundtrip with a 30-pound pack in 3 hours and 20 minutes. Two hours up and 1 hour 20 minutes down.
I counted the number of switchbacks on the way up. For every switchback, I picked up a very small pebble. When I got to the last switchback before the final push along the ridgeline and to the summit, I emptied my pockets. I counted 39 pebbles. There are two switchbacks to go to the summit making it a total of 41. That confirms the reports of the number of switchbacks. Now, I am convinced. That's a lot of switchbacks in four miles.
We started the hike at 9:20 a.m. and reached the summit at 11:20 a.m. Stayed at the summit for a little over an hour to just relax, take photos, and take it all in. For many in the group it was their very first summit of Baden-Powell. For others it was their very first hike! They did remarkably well! At the beginning they said they were slow. Hah!
I was the designated "sweeper." I was the last guy up because I stayed with my carpooler, Noelle who having problems. She wasn't having problems with altitude, just with the exertion. I kept giving her words of encouragement. One of the members of the hiking group said it was another half mile. I told Noelle that when she reaches the top of these series of switchbacks, there was a ridgeline and then the summit within one-quarter of a mile.
When she saw the summit in sight from the ridgeline, she picked up her pace a little bit and started up the last two strenuous switchbacks. I told her break it down and to rest every 10 steps if she needed to. Well, she made it.
Many of the hiking party ate their lunch, climbed trees, took photos, remarked about the views, and had a great time at the summit. I pointed out to some members of the group the surrounding peaks. It was amazing we could see San Jacinto off in the distance. I pointed out Olancha Peak in the Sierra Nevada as well as Humphreys Peak near Flagstaff, Arizona.
We waited for four members of another hiking party who started from the same trailhead at 7:00 a.m. and start from the Bighorn Mine and ascend up the Class 2-3 route along the ridgeline to Baden-Powell's summit. All four members of that party made it safely.
We started descent at 12:25 p.m. and finished at 2:45 p.m.
After the hike, some of us stopped by Mile High Pizza in Wrightwood and celebrated with sodas and pizza. There are only two long tables in the establishment and we occupied both tables.
Vincent Gap: 6,565 feet
Summit: 9,399 feet
Elevation change: 2,834
EC per mile: 708.5 ft / mi.
Switchbacks (confirmed): 41
Gear: Camelbak Commander pack, The North Face convertible pants, REI wicking shirts, TNF Apex and Denali vests, Marmot DriClime and PreCip shells, wool socks, Montrail hightops, Leki trekking poles, water (4 liters).
Notes: Trail anorexia. Did not eat anything the entire way. Did have a banana and two McDonald's hash browns before the start of the hike. Lifesaver candies are great for mountain trails. No issues. Bear and bighorn sheep scat at around the 18th switchback and at the 37th.
