Baldy Bliss

We parked near the trailhead shortly after 6am and there were few spots remaining at that time.  We started the hike at 6:20am, took the Baldy Bowl trail to the peak, then down Devil’s Backbone, stopped for lunch at Top of the Notch, then continued the hike down the rest of the way.  We finished 8 hours later, but this included resting at the peak and about an hour break at the restaurant.  It was a steep 4 miles with 4000′ of elevation gain from the trailhead to the peak, but it made the descent much more pleasant, especially with the rewarding lunch approximately 3/4 of the way through the hike.  We were tempted to take the ski lift down from the restaurant, but at $20 per person for the one-way trip, we saved our money and walked down the easy dirt service road.  It was a warm sunny day, but there was some wind at the top which made it feel cool enough that we put on a layer.  It was a beautiful, fun, challenging, rewarding hike!