{"id":16995,"date":"2022-11-22T05:37:42","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T12:37:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mywalkabout.net\/?p=16995"},"modified":"2022-11-22T05:40:04","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T12:40:04","slug":"mount-baldy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mywalkabout.net\/?p=16995","title":{"rendered":"Mount Baldy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For years I have read about the trail <\/strong>that cuts through the Mount Baldy wilderness and the surrounding sacred tribal lands. The day had finally come for me to explore the trail myself. I have two options : an eight mile up and back, or a twelve mile loop. I’ve a little over a month until my big overseas adventure and so the plan was to tackle the longer of the routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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I quickly come to a split in the trail<\/strong>, which I make a mental note would be my exit for the loop trail. It is overgrown with fallen tree branches and wild meadow grasses, making that trail harder to follow. I wonder if that will be problematic as I continue up Mount Baldy. The open green meadows out here are breathtakingly wonderful. I take in a large drink of water and carry upward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The possibility of a summer rainstorm looks likely<\/strong>, but I strap the rain gear onto my pack and continue on. A row of tents along the river are spotted far below me. It is an idyllic image that gets forever burned into my mind. Breathing becomes more labored as I go, and the water I’m taking in makes me wonder if I’ll run out of my 5 liters before this trek is over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It’s the longest four miles<\/strong> I’ve done in quite awhile, yet I reach the summit of Mount Baldy in decent time. The storm clouds are really gathering above me now. I see a sign that lets me know I can go no farther unless I have special permission from the Tribe. The true summit is a very sacred place to the Native American tribes that live here. I respect their wishes and culture and don’t proceed. A nice gent is resting here, waiting for his friends that climbed the Summit. He let’s me know that if I head down the trail to complete the loop that it is very covered in fallen debris and that the trail is slow going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the impending rain, and the fact that my water supply is much lower than I anticipated, I decide to hike back down the same trail I climbed up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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