Mt Baldy, formerly Mount San Antonio, is fairly close to Los Angeles, tempting people to "go hiking" when it is a nice day in the basin. 3 Hikers Are Found Dead on Mt. Baldy in Southern California, Sheriff Says - The New York Times
The bodies of the hikers were spotted on Monday near Devil’s Backbone, a trail on Mount Baldy that is described on hiking websites as challenging and frequently covered with snow and ice during the winter.
At least one of the 3 had fallen 500 feet to his death.
Devil's Backbone is a long trail that gains enough in elevation, that the weather conditions at the trailhead can be much different from the on-trail conditions, and those conditions can change suddenly.
The Devil’s Backbone trail is 14 miles long, out and back, and gains 4,274 feet in elevation, according to the website AllTrails.com. The site advises hikers to bring crampons and ice axes — and know how to use them — when there is snow and ice.
“Without proper gear, hiking this trail in the winter can be very dangerous,” the website [AllTrails.com] said.
Crampons are spiky cleats you can attach to your hiking boots to provide additional traction on ice.
At least 14 people have died on Mount Baldy since 2020. One of those was British actor Julian Sands.
I'm not saying you shouldn't get out into nature. Hiking, boating, camping, etc. were some of my favorite activities in my youth. Recognize the limitations of your skill and knowledge and don't overmatch yourself by terrain, or weather you don't understand.
So Why rename Mount San Antonio to be Mount Baldy? Is it anti-Catholic bias, or anti-Hispanic bias? Or is it just another part of the attempt by the Left to destroy all of history?
Baldy is listed as the 3rd most dangerous mountain in the continental US. Mainly due to it's proximity to Los Angeles and the plethora of morons from there who attempt to climb it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, what Dan said. There are wild Bighorn sheep up there. The terrain is very rugged. Within a few miles one can go from urban city to greatly remote isolation.
DeleteI am always amazed at how people just assume that what they don't know can't possibly be dangerous. We're going for a walk in the woods to "touch grass" and "commune with nature." What could go wrong? Then they get lost in the wilderness, fall off a mountain, or whatever.
DeleteIt has been Baldy for a long time. The juxtaposition of the whitish rock and above the treeline, plus the shape starting around the treeline does sorta kinda resemble a bald pate.
ReplyDeleteThe proximity of the tall and rugged San Gabriel mountain range to the SoCal metropolis sets the scene for the unaware and unequipped to easily fall onto the snare which often leads to injury and sometimes death. A fall of 500' is horrifying.