With El Niño storms approaching, a humble reminder: Don’t underestimate Mt. Baldy
Your morning catch-up: Mt. Baldy’s tempting summit, Prop. 40 finally goes down and more big stories
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Standing in a howling wind at 9,300 feet on Mt. Baldy on Friday, wearing nothing but a thin sun hoody and light hiking pants, I had to decide: Was it wise to keep going to the summit?
It was a gloriously clear day. I could see the sun shimmering on the water in the Port of Long Beach 50 miles south. I wasn’t worried about getting soaked by freezing rain or struck by lightning — the perils of sudden thunderstorms in the mountains — but the wind was becoming a serious issue.
Mt. Baldy’s summit towers 10,064 feet over Los Angeles and is one of the most recognizable features of the Southern California skyline. Tens of thousands of people hike it every year and, on a warm, clear day, a T-shirt, tennis shoes and a little stamina are all you really need to reach the top.
Mt. Baldy has a history of tragedies
But that familiarity makes it way too easy to underestimate. Baldy ranks firmly among the nation’s deadliest mountains, alongside New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington and Mt. Rainier outside of Seattle — which are also short drives from major cities.
Last December, three hikers fell to their deaths on Baldy from a notorious section of the Devil’s Backbone trail that has steep, thousand-foot drops on each side of a narrow ridge.
English actor Julian Sands (“The Killing Fields,” “A Room with a View”) disappeared on another Mt. Baldy trail in January 2023 during a violent winter storm. Despite massive searches, his whereabouts remained a mystery until June of that year when a group of local hikers stumbled upon a boot, some bones and a driver’s license with a familiar face.
This winter could be exceptionally busy for rescuers if — as forecasted — the Super El Niño brewing in the Pacific sends a steady parade of atmospheric river storms marching into Los Angeles County’s highest peak.
All of which was in the back of my head, but not top of mind, as I weighed the odds on Friday.
I’ve summited Mt. Baldy (officially Mt. San Antonio) dozens of times in all conditions; one more wouldn’t make a difference. But I was trying to set a personal speed record for the roughly 12-mile, 4,000-vertical-foot round trip from the trailhead to the summit via the Devil’s Backbone — and I was making great time.
If I didn’t at least tap my foot on the famous summit sign, it wouldn’t count.
Conditions can change quickly
Other hikers coming down while I was heading up were still dressed in the hats, gloves and puffy winter coats they’d thrown on to battle the windchill. Most said they had turned around before the top.
When I reached the last flat spot beneath the summit, where the ridge of a companion peak blocks most of the wind, I was completely alone. Ahead lay about a quarter mile and 700 vertical feet of completely exposed terrain. I guessed the wind gusts were reaching 25-30 mph — unpleasant, but not necessarily a showstopper.
So, like an idiot, I gave it a try.
About a hundred yards up, the wind speed felt like it had doubled. In just a few minutes, the side of my face exposed to it was starting to freeze. The loose straps on my backpack were snapping and slapping like whips. A hundred feet higher, the gusts were so strong they nearly knocked me off my feet.
Live to hike another day
I ducked behind some boulders and realized I’d made a stupid, predictable mistake.
Continuing to the summit, only 300 feet above, was out of the question now. All of my attention turned to planning my route back down. It would require waiting for lulls in the wind and sprinting from one pile of rocks to the next.
I shouted unprintable words during each desperate sprint and laughed out loud when I finally reached the sheltered section of trail.
All’s well that ends well, obviously, but please take this as a humble and friendly reminder — it’s way too easy to underestimate Mt. Baldy.
Top stories
It’s official: Prop. 40 lost
- California voters rejected Proposition 40, a proposed one-time 5% tax on billionaires’ assets to offset federal healthcare cuts, with 53% voting no and 47% in favor.
- The measure found support in Los Angeles and San Francisco but lost statewide amid warnings it could drive wealthy residents away and damage California’s economy.
- Competing ballot campaigns spent more than $400 million; supporters vow to revisit the tax.
More election fallout
- In a first, L.A.’s three citywide elected offices will all be held by Asian Americans.
- Empowered congressional Democrats gear up for battles over immigration and ICE oversight.
High tides
- High surf and a strong rip current in SoCal raise the risk of flooding and hazardous swim conditions.
- Naples Boat Parade is canceled as El Niño season threatens dangerously high tides over Christmas week.
Studio execs shuffle
- Former Tubi chief executive takes top job at SiriusXM.
- James Gunn and Peter Safran are replaced as heads of DC Studios.
More news
- He built a chipmaking giant. Now Jensen Huang faces his biggest test
- A California judge says she was fired after objecting to settlements with insurers seeking rate hikes
- A cruise ship employee was rescued after spending nine hours in the ocean off Catalina.
- The Supreme Court could bar most victims from suing federal agents.
- Another California winery is struggling, being sued by lenders amid a slump in wine demand.
- Here’s what we’ve learned about the first-place Lakers.
- As L.A. theaters struggle to survive, nonunion shows spark a fight over the future.
- This L.A. public high school program is training movie and TV crews, with George Clooney’s help.
Commentary and opinion
- Raman’s victory was a resounding rebuke to L.A.’s Latino political establishment, writes Gustavo Arellano.
- Columnist Anita Chabria takes us inside the prison cell where Newsom made his death row decision.
Editor’s pick
The right barber can change your life. For the famous clients in his chair, it’s always going to be Ronnie McCoy III
As a fourth-generation barber with a roster of high-profile clients he’s had for over a decade, Ronnie McCoy knows that making a career cutting hair requires much more than just the technical aspects of the job.
More picks
- Inside California’s decadelong higher education expansion in prisons.
- Four Dodgers-related story lines to follow at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas.
- How a crackdown on immigrant drivers ignited an Indian food frenzy — at California truck stops.
- Our need to control everything is driving us crazy, says Stanford psychiatrist behind ‘Dopamine Nation.’
Things to do
- “Purpose” arrives at Geffen Playhouse with its Tony-winning Broadway cast intact.
- Sex, sets and second thoughts: Dustin Hoffman revisits his battles in Hollywood in a new memoir, out today.
- 24 of the best L.A. bakeries to order pies from this Thanksgiving.
Today’s recipe
Chess bars are a Southern treat typically made with a cake base topped with a rich cream cheese filling that’s very, very sweet. In Ben Mims’ recipe, he heavily reduced the sugar and replaced the flour-based cake bottom with an oat dough cut with fragrant hazelnut and almond flours. They make the perfect cookie for a holiday party or even Christmas dessert.
Question for you
The holidays are approaching! What’s a California holiday song you love?
Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
Photo of the day
Games
Here’s today’s mini crossword, plus our other free, daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jack Dolan, investigative reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
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