MT. SAN ANTONIO

Anne's first summit to Mt. San Antonio (10,064).

I hiked with Michael, Anne and Kristan. They have never been to the summit of Mt. San Antonio.

The four of us hit the trail at 8:35 a.m. It was a slow go all the way. We stayed together the entire way and we reached the Sierra Club Ski Hut around 10:30.

We sat in the shade for 10 minutes as we snacked and rested. I pointed out the Christmas Tree to the group. The ski hut was closed. The outhouse had plenty of toilet paper.

It was back to business. We headed up for the summit. Someone had taken the time to line the trail in the scree. Usually, one can lose the trail. After the "bowl" it was up the steep switchbacks to the ridgeline. Then it still continues to go up.

I pointed out the plane wreckage to the group as we made our way up to the summit.

We reached the summit around 12:05.

We stayed at the summit for about 25 minutes. I pointed out to Anne and Kristan the various peaks and landmarks below us. Michael was taking this opportunity to take a lot of pictures.

We started our descent at 12:30 and we were at the ski hut in one hour. We were literally flying down from the summit. After replenishing our water, we finished our hike around 1:45.

It was Mike, Anne and Kristan's first summit. I was happy to be a part of their life's achievement. There is nothing like standing on a mountaintop look down and around.

We were on the road by 2:15 and headed home.

We returned to our vehicles in the Claim Jumper restaurant parking lot around 3:30. I went into Claim Jumper to get me a meatloaf sandwich to go. A great sandwich to end the day.

MT. BADEN-POWELL II

Erin near the summit with Joe encouraging her on.

Joe and Erin at the obelisk.

Erin at the summit marker with Mt. San Antonio in the background.

Me and Erin.

Patty became interested in mountaineering while her and her husband were troop leaders of their son's boy scout troop. Mt. Baden-Powell is named after the founder of the Boy Scouts. I dedicated this hike in her memory. We have to carry on for Patty...she would have wanted it that way.

Erin, Joe and I set out on our hike to BP's summit around 9:30 a.m. It was ideal hiking conditions. Erin experienced some hip pain about three-quarters of a mile from the summit. I immediately took one of the full Nalgene bottles from her pack to lighten the load. Joe offered to carry it for her. That seemed to do the trick.

We reached the summit at 12:00. It was Erin's first summit of the 9,399 foot peak. Her first summit of any peak for that matter. There were tens of thousands of ladybug beetles flying around at the summit to greet us.

The hike took us 4 hours and 15 minutes.

The torch has been passed to another mountaineer...

MT. BADEN-POWELL

Mt. San Antonio (10,064) as seen from the ridgeline looking south just before Mt. Baden-Powell summit.

Only 0.2 of a mile and a couple of hundred of feet to the summit.

Mt. Baden-Powell summit marker.

Mt. Baden-Powell (9,399) as seen from the Angeles Crest Highway (SR-2).

The obelisk dedicated to the founder of the Boy Scouts, Lord Robert Stevenson Smyth Baden-Powell.

I hiked with members of my hiking group to the 9,399 foot summit of Mt. Baden-Powell.

Great day. We started the hike at 9:40 a.m. at Vincent Gap (6,565) and finished at 1:10 p.m. with a 15-minute summit rest. Took me a little over 2 hours to reach the summit.

This trail is part of the annual Angeles Crest 100 trailrunning race. This trail would be a great quick acclimatizing trail for anyone starting out on their Mt. Whitney training. It is an 8-mile out and back with 35 long switchbacks in between. Some say there are 41 so I may have lost count on my descent. The trekking poles came in handy on the ascent and descent. The views of Mt. San Antonio ("Baldy"), West Baldy, Iron Mountain, Mt. Harwood and the desert at Mt. Baden-Powell's summit were spectacular.