The drive from San Diego took about an hour longer than I expected. I started the hike at 10AM much later than expected. On the plus side, I met hikers on their way down and by the time I reached the summit I had it all to myself. I started at Manker Flats and took the Ski Hut Trail to the summit and descended the Devil's Backbone Trail . It was quite a steep hike, but I was glad to be going up rather than down. It was a beautiful day, but as you can see in the photo visibility was not the best. It was a tough hike and I did not reach my car until 6PM, but I am very glad to have finally summited Baldy. It has been on my wish list since I moved to San Diego a few years ago.