Name: (Mountaineer 8) Mt Baldy via Bear Canyon and Back
Start: 2013-09-21T06:45:00-07:00
End: 2013-09-21T09:45:00-07:00
Location: Mt Baldy Village Church

This is the qualifying hike for Iron Mountain attempt on 10/5.

Everyone will start together promptly at 7:00 am. If you start early on your own, you will be disqualified

This hike is only for strong and highly experienced hikers. There will be no sweep nor lead on this hike. The pace will be incredibly fast with no rest along the way.

If you have any reservation at all, you should join a different event.

The Iron Mountain hike is a gathering of best of the best, an exclusive club of who's who elite hikers in Southern California.

Therefore, only a handful of the strongest and fastest hikers will be chosen for the hike.

If you plan to attempt the Big Iron, you will need to demonstrate your strength and speed in this hike.

To qualify for the Iron Mountain hike, you need to complete this hike before the organizer.

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Organizer: Mike Cheng

Hiking assistant:

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Location: Mt Baldy, CA

Hike Difficulty: Advanced, Level 9/10

Distance: 12.9 miles

Elevation Gain: 6000'

Time: 8 hours

Trail condition: Single file, rocky trail, partially shaded

Water: Minimum 4 liters (If you bring less than this amount, you will be in big trouble.)

Guest: no

Dog: no

Toilette: At the visitor center

Parking: Street parking near the visitor center. Adventure Pass is required.

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Direction: Take the 210 east and exit on Baseline Road (exit 52). Turn left at the light at the end of the ramp on to Baseline Road. Make the next right on to Padua Avenue. Drive 1.7 miles and turn right onto Mount Baldy Road (there will be a traffic light). Continue up Mount Baldy Road for seven miles to Mount Baldy Village.

The trailhead is next to Mt Baldy Village Church at the intersection of Bear Canyon Rd and Mt Baldy Rd. Find parking on the street near this point. The Church no longer allows hiker parking at its lot. Please park your car at the dirt lot across street from the Trout Pond.

What to bring: hat, sunscreen, long pants, hiking poles, energy bar, lunch, snacks, water, and the usual stuff.

Proficiency: Anyone interested in participating in this event must share with my your hiking activities during the past 3 months to substantiate your proficiency before your name will be added to the list.

Early departure: If you need to be seperated from the group for any reason, you must inform the hiker leader. Not knowing your whereabout may prompt us to report your missing to proper authority for further actions.

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This is the last in a series of 7 hikes that take us to alpine forest around Mt Baldy and Iron Mountain. Each hike is more difficult than the previous one, allowing us to gradually build up our strength and endurance as we progress in this series.

Our goal is to summit Iron Moutain on 10/5. Only best of the best will be able to join me for that epic hike.

1st hike to Timber Mountain, the elevation gain is 3,400' in 9 miles. (7/13)

2nd hike to Allison Saddle via Heaton Flat, the gain is 3600' in 9 miles (7/27)

3rd hike to 3T, the gain is 4,700' in 10.5 miles. (8/10)

4th hike to West Baldy & Mt. Baldy via Ski Hut trail, the gain is 4,200' in 9 miles. (8/24)

5th hike to Mt. Baldy via Bear Cayon, back via Ski Hut, the gain is 6,000' in 11 miles. (9/7)

6th hike to Mt. Baldy via Bear Canyon trail and back, the gain is 6,000' in 12.5 miles. (9/21)

7th hike to Iron Mountain, the gain is 7,000' in 14 miles. (10/5)

Priority in future hikes will be given to hikers staying with this series. The last hike to Iron Mountain is considered the most difficult single trail hike in So Cal. After this series, sky will be your limit.

This series are designed for hikers serious about advancing their capability. The group will naturally be smaller. Hence, if you sign up but do not show up, you will be barred from the remainding hikes of this series. Your understanding is appreciated.

If you are not moving up the waiting list while others are, that means I do not have enough information on your past hiking history to know that this hike is within your reach. You need to share your hike history with me to be added to the official list.

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Trail description:

Mount San Antonio, commonly known as Old Baldy or Mt Baldy, at 10,068 ft, is the highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, and the highest point in Los Angeles County (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_County,_California). Mount San Antonio's sometimes snow-capped peaks are visible on clear days and dominate the view of the Los Angeles skyline.

Bear Canyon Trail offers some of the finest scenery and rewarding views in the San Gabriel Mountains high country. The first 1.8 miles to Bear Flat delightfully travels a superb single-track trail adorned with fern under a rich canopy of live oak, bay, and bigcone Douglas-fir. Beyond Bear Flat the trail begins to steeply climb the chaparral-covered southeast flank of Mt. Baldy's great south ridge, You're rewarded with expanding views of Ontario Ridge, Icehouse Canyon, the "Three T's" and Baldy Notch. You'll then enter an open conifer forest with wide-reaching views toward the expansive San Gabriel Mountains to the west.

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2013 Activities:

Trekker Series: On the 1st Saturday of the month and will be 6 miles or less.
Explorer Series: On the 2nd Saturday and will be 7- 8 miles.
Adventurer Seires: On the 3rd Saturday and will be 9 miles or more.

Mountaineer Series with elevation gain of 4000' and more will be scheduled for 3rd and 4th quarters for seasoned alpinists.

Exploratory hikes are available off schedule. To participate, you must be a strong and seasoned hiker. Please email me if you are interested.

Waiting list priority: People who hike with me or with Los Angeles Hiking Group frequently will be given priority when they are on the waiting list.

No show policy: If you sign up for an event and no show, you will either lose your waiting list priority or not be able to sign up for the next event.

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Warning:

If you have prior medical condiction or a family history of illnesses pertaining to heart, lungs, brain, etc. that can be aggravated by heat and physical exertion, this is not the hike for you.

If you have never done a hike of this distance or difficulty before, this hike will be very difficult for you. It may well be your death march. The mountain is not going anywhere. We will schedule this event again in the future. Do it when your mind and body are ready.

Hiking is a recreation, not a suicide mission.

Release of Liability:

The organizer (me) of this trip is a volunteer and is not a professional guide. The function of the organizer is only to organize this trip. Each person who signs up for a trip/hike/or outing is responsible for his or her own safety and the safety of his or her guests.

By signing up for this trip, or any other event organized by me, you are acknowledging that you are aware and have made your guests aware of the risks, dangers and hazards associated with any outdoor activity and freely accept and fully assume all such risks, dangers and hazards, and further agree to release and discharge the organizer (me) of this hike from and against any and all liability arising from your and your guest's participation in the group activities.

In addition, you and your guests are acknowledging that you agree to the Meetup terms of service especially paragraph 6.2: http://www.meetup.com/terms/

Profile Photo:

Members interested in joining this hike must have a profile photo showing his/her face. This is a requirement of the L.A. Hiking Group. Without it, you will not be allowed to sign up.

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(Mountaineer 8) Mt Baldy via Bear Canyon and Back

Mt Baldy Village Church

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(Mountaineer 8) Mt Baldy via Bear Canyon and Back

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