Baldy

No, not me...Mount Baldy, or to be accurate, Mount San Antonio. My off-season goals were to do more SAR-related activities. So when the opportunity to climb Baldy with Matt Sparks came up, I jumped.

Baldy rises 10,064 feet above sea level, so we drove up Saturday and hiked up the Sierra Club Ski Hut (8,300') to acclimate. The ski hut has been around since 1930 and is a great day hike. The hut sits below Baldy Bowl, a great place for backcountry skiers.

After practicing glissading and arresting, we retired to the hut for a nice evening of food and music from our new Sierra Club friends. Great company and vibe. Thank you Matt for supplying the "official" pre-climb beverage!

We got a reasonable start Sunday up the bowl and practiced anchors and belays on 35-40 degree snow slopes. We then topped out of the bowl through one of the steeper chutes and progressed to the summit and tea. Thanks again Matt!

Back to the car by 4:30 p.m and then to Matt and Marie's home for a great meal. Thanks guys!

Well, its almost Spring and I have no events on my calendar...gotta get moving on that!