Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Conditions On Baldy

Register Ridge is obviously shorter than the Scree Hut but is it faster? Inquiring minds want to know. So Wednesday I went up the Scree Hut trail to the summit. It took me 2'45" to reach the top, including a break at the hut. Today I went up the Register Ridge Route. It took me 2'40" to the top with 2 short breaks. I have cut my overall time on the Scree Hut trail by 30-45 minutes in the last 2 months. I doubt if I can cut it much more in the future. But I am sure I can cut my RR time by 10-15 minutes in the near future. (For purposes of comparison, the time to the top is more useful than overall time up and back because it doesn't get distorted by time spent socializing on top. My overall time is 5:45-5:55 most days.)
Thanks to whoever it was that kicked the great toe steps in the soft dirt in the first part of the RR route.
Burt

I prefer RR.

It takes me about 2:30-2:40 up the SHT (I know what I said). I was able to tag Baldy and Harwood in 2:15 via RR. I haven't yet been able to re-duplicate that, but the fastest time I ever got up the SHT was 2:28 (while I nabbed a bonus peak and an extra 200' of gain on Register).

Plus the RR is less crowded and I've seen the herds of Big Horn ewes three times in the vicinity of RR and Harwood.

Have you ever hiked DOWN Register Ridge? I get sweats just thinking about doing it.

Head up the SH T trail early...
...and then after a while on the summit, watching the crowds come up, head down RR...

Really is a better way to do Baldy on a weekend.

burtw,

haha never...

Just did RR up last night and SHT down. 2:46 up, and Car to Car in 4:56

I can't really think descending RR to be THAT bad. Especially after messing around in the choss-pile between the summit and the top of the Bowl...

Ugh...

It was a beautiful frozen Saturday morning on 5/09. The Ski Hut trail was covered in snow and all of the trees were solid powdered sugar; the bowl was white in the moonlight before dawn. As the first rays of sun hit the summit, I turned from the bowl trail and followed a set of cramp-on footprints straight up the bowl snow slope. First time I have ever climbed straight up a bowl snow chute with the ice axe and it was HARD. Harder than I thought it would be, but I made it! Amazing and incredible I can only imagine what the MR on Whitney must be like. the snow melted fast, as I came down the SHT and passed the bowl most of the snow was gone including any footprints.. good thing I started out early! Maybe one of these days I will learn to upload my pics to the board..

https://www.nationalforests.org/who-we-a...3ac696-30525653

I haven't read anything on this site, but some of you Baldy Regulars may want to make sure they're not heading in a direction that limits your access...

Check out the UN's Agenda 21. It explains a lot about wilderness restrictions going into place. Probably why JMT access is getting cut too.

But knowing what is happening is 90% of the solution.

S California's population keeps growing at a fast pace. More peep in S California means more people on Baldy. I have seen days when there is a steady line of people on the SHT like on the MWMT. There are regulations and/or limitations on San Gorgonio, San Jacinto, Whitney, and all overnight activity in the Sierra. You already get a permit to park at the trailhead. Why should we expect that traffic can increase on Baldy indefinitely w/o limitations? When I hike S Gorgonio it's a minor nuisance to get a trail permit but once i'm on the trail I enjoy the solitude.

Back on the hiking trail after a year of back re-hab. Went up Baden-Powell Saturday morning around 7 solo as everyone else had "better things" to do. Trailhead pretty full by that time, but only saw one on trail a few minutes from the Waldron tree. Was 49 at the trailhead so a touch of Fall in the air. Got to summit in 1:45. Ran into a 15+ boy scout troup on top. Only planned a few minute break so I could get down ahead of them. They went toward Islip Saddle so no issues there. Had light pack and trail runners on, so jogged down in 55 minutes. Would have been a bit quicker but semi-turned ankle not 10 minutes from the summit. Nursed it all the way down. 6-7 groups coming up so the trail was well-used. Nice day out, much better than housework!

I called the Mt. Baldy visitor center and asked about the Old Baldy Bear Flat trail restriction because I had noticed several hikers on the narrows in the weeks past, and they told me that they aren't enforcing it. Lots of hikers every wkend on that trail. (it officially opens on Aug 20) So I (may have!) hiked it twice in the last 2 weeks with a RR hike in between. It's in great shape (I'm pretty sure!). Hehe

I've hiked down it - once. Don't plan to do it again.

Have ascended RR several times. Not sure it saves any time, but I've never found many people on it, even on the weekends.

Some may be happy to hear that I may be back too...
three southern Sierra peaks in the last 8 days...

Always glad to hear/read your reports Richard. Helps remind why I like getting on the trail, and look forward to the next one. Can't outdo your pics either!

Register Ridge, my GPS said 3.4 miles to the summit from Manker. Thought about hiking down RR but my knees said "you DO want to reach the top of Whitney don't you?". BTW the wildfire last night that burned 25 acres was at the beginning of Mt Baldy Rd, nowhere near the mountain or village. And it is contained now apparently. Happy hiking! -HH

Hiked Baldy on Friday. It has been about a month, maybe two since I have been up there. I was surprised at the trail wash out ruts, particularly when approaching the rock garden. I didn't remember any storms bad enough to do that.
We slept in the little bowl at about 9,600. That is such a great place to shelter from the wind and you still get a gorgeous view of the stars. I saw 10 shooting stars, remnants of the Perseids. That is such a pretty mountain.

So you must be the group that said hi to me at about 5:45 AM as you were waking up, I was on my way to the summit for sunrise and I stopped to put my headlamp away and have a snack. 17th summit in 15 months!

That was us, Homer. Beautiful morning, wasn't it?

Oh yes it was! I made it to the summit @ 6:05AM and just as I put my stuff down and pulled out the camera along came sunrise! Couldn't have been better timing. I would like to spend the night up there sometime.