Friends That Hike - Baldy Bowl

12/02/2018 Went bowlin today! ??❄️ It was a great climb up to Baldy via Baldy Bowl. We started at 7:30am from Manker Flats, about a mile before the ski hut we encountered a few patches of snow and ice along the trail. The last .5 miles to the hut the trail was completely covered in snow, but we still managed to make it to the hut without crampons or micros. Once at the hut we put on our mountaineering gear and headed to the bowl. From the ski hut all the way to Mount Baldy the trail is completely covered in snow. We got to the base of the bowl around 9am and the snow conditions were nice and compact. Snow depths on the bowl ranged from a few inches deep to 2 feet deep. As the day progressed the snow started to become slushy, but by that time we were already toward the top. It might have been a good idea to have started an hour earlier, maybe two hours earlier if you want head back down the bowl. If you attempt the bowl try to make it to the top by noon. The last 800ft got a little sketchy and had to cut more steps and made our own switchbacks. We summited exactly at 12, took a few pics and got the hell down because it was windy as hell. It was literally blowing us off balance and the snow was just whipping our face. But the views were absolutely beautiful. We headed back down the ski hut route with snow levels close to knee level deep. It was perfect for heal plunging. Once back at the hut we took off our crampons and wore micros the rest of the way. It was a perfect day. Enjoy the photos! Fast facts: Distance: 8 miles Elevation gain: 3,980’ Minimum elevation: 6,156’ Maximum elevation: 10,064’ Duration: 5-7 hours