Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Current conditions on Baldy

Ben, the weather was not as predicted. used today as a trainer for Rainier... TR below

Sat 2/26 Bear flats trail.. got to the village about 7am..
lots of sliping and sliding from people trying to get up the hill so parked in town and headed up the BF trail. about 12"
after the bridge and then up to 18" on the trail. Broke trail in snowshoes to just above Bear Flats, but beyond one needed a machete to clear the bent over bushes. This was not a light cold snow as forecast.. heavy and wet. temp was 30F most of the way. Light wind. intermidant snow showers.. back in town around 10:30. Met 4 groups heading up as I came down.

Anybody make it to Manker flats and the ski hut or higher. TR would be much appreciated. Summit via ski hut next weekend...hopefully.

thanks for the beta on Bear Flats, was heading up Monday but don't feel like bushwacking. Skihut it is, i'll post a TR. You said 18" of new snow, eh?

I went up to ~6800' (just below the top of the ridge above Bear Flats) yesterday. I had to break trail above Bear Flats, and, even with snowshoes, I was postholing up to my knees some of the time. I'd say there were 3' of fresh powder on the way up to the ridge.

Mac

rick
We went up on Sunday. The road to Manker was clear @ 6:30am. There was only one hiking group ahead of us on the bowl...and several skiers skinning up. Climbing the most direct route (up the middle chute and veering right) up to the summit was awesome. There were places where the snow was knee deep, but do-able. If you don't being snowshoes, I suggest descending the same route rather than hiking down the ridge and west bowl. We did that and regretted every step! Without snowshoes, we postholed almost the entire ridge up to the knee and plunge stepped the whole way (to the hip in places!) down the west bowl. The snow was way too soft & powdery to glissade on that side. Once it consolidated a little, you'll be fine, but if you're heading up in the next couple of days, bring your shoes!
Stacy
I have pics on my FB page (Stacy Waldrum)

mac - I agree, it was freakin' deep and soft up there. We tryed to use someone elses 12" deep snowshoe tracks on the ridge, but plunged through another 12"-18".

Took a morning hike up to Baldy starting at 4:35am going Register Ridge to Mt. Harwood, the going was good, mirco spikes all the way today. On the way to Harwood the wind was kicking up,when I got there 8:10 I put gloveliners on, hardshell and a balaclava,it was 28 with a wind going south to north..On the way to Baldy (summit at 9:17)going over the ridge I stayed on the cross between ice and snow the ice was rough so it was easy to walk on,towards the top the snow I found was hard packed..Took main chute down soft snow all the way down easy foot planting and slow but nice glaciding...

All in all post holed a few times to my knees once deeper..
never took my 12 points out of my pack...

The east side of Baldy is different then the west so thats where Stacys report comes in handy...

mark
R/R to Baldy

Hi Mark,
Congratulations on your morning walk.
You are ready for MR's last 400 down. I have never done the Baldy Bowl straight down. Guide me down next time if the condition is good.

Shin

Nice pics Mark, what is that device on the tripod near the summit? Conditions look fine on the mountain, gotta get up there soon!

thanks shin and mark...that is one of baldys two weather station
instruments...

March 5 update.. got a late start up to the ski hut via Manker.. most of the trail had hard pack snow in the morn. 8am.. but was slop in the pm. from the skihut took the trail up the middle of the bowl with about 50-75 others.. Never been up this before.. probably would have been better earlier in the day.. but late by late morn it was abit slushy making for less than ideal footing. about 30degrees on top with a bit of a breeze.. followed the ridge back down to the low side (west ) of the bowl.. would have been easy with snow shoes but of course left them in the car... dumb.. if you got 'em take them. knee deep postholing at times. all in all a great day.. Ben, good training for Rainier..let me know when you are doing Baldy again.
Rick
Richard and Shin great pics.. looks like you had a good day.. how were the switchbacks above Bear Flats??

Hi Rick,
The surface of switchback is moist and easy to hike up.
But all thorny bushes burnt by a fire a few years ago is coming back strong. This switchback is the pain in hot summer time with those thorny bushes or tunnel of bushes. But it is still all right. The early start is the best for this trail.

The skiing in bowl was awesome today, rock hard base w/ a velvety soft surface by 10 am (@ least) for turns. Looks like a good melt/freeze cycle going on. There were a couple of point releases from the last storm just below the rocks in the middle of the bowl. I'll try to figure out how post some pics here.

Did anyone experience Baldy this past Sunday? I know, no one
that is sane would have been up there on Sunday. Seriously though, any guesses as to what conditions will be like Sat. they 26th.
Appreciate any and all input..

Happy Hiking.
Rick

Baldy snow report says THREE FEET of fresh powder at the resort.

Just returned from the ski lifts. Fantastic! Deep, soft powder really is three feet deep in spots above the notch. If going to ski, you'll need some deep powder skills or a thick enough skin to play the fool and tumble a few times. You won't be a lone if you choose the latter! I had plenty of company as I 'learned' to ski in powder. If going to hike, bring snowshoes, some avalanche awareness and a camera. It is really beautiful today!

Sunrise on Summit....
Since I cancelled MR for this weekend I took advantage of the Cesar Chavez holiday and hit the trail at 1:50am this morning took Register Ridge up, soft snow,postholed couple of times to my thigh mostly the postholeing was at the calf. One time i must have hit a hole between two rocks went up to my waist..

After the trees the snow firmed up and the wind increased at this point I put another layer of gloves on and my hardshell along with my mircos, when I arrived at Hardwood 5am I had to neal for the wind was strong so I could see the dessert lights and a long line of cars snakeing along 15 heading south..As I crossed the saddle the wind incresed at one point my poles and hands were heading south I leaned my head into the wind was headed north and my body was going west(how cool is that)..

After I got to the other side up a ways at the rock band I made a turn and all of a sudden it was a warm wind I noticed right away on my lips(weird)..Got to summit at 6:10 and it was a nice 35deg. and the wind wasnt blowing as hard on summit... Before leaving summit I put poles away and got axe and put my mircos on (only used mircos maybe 20min. from manker to the summit)..

Went down main chute heel first tell I got past all the crappy snow and dirt then glicaded down the rest of way, the second half of main chute I had to help myself push as the snow even at 7:45am is already soft...

Met 5 people coming up on my way down including Kurt W. with a clinet getting him ready for Mt. Mckinley in May..

Got back to car at 8:50 7hrs on the nose...

Also did someone lose a flashlight a 1/4 the way up R/R..

mark

]Sunrise on baldy

Nice! Like the boot photo, did you have the glissade cam going? I tried that once with an old Kodak and duct tape...without much success.