I hiked Baldy from Manker Flats via the ski hut trail at the end of April, when it was still mercifully cooler. The hike felt grueling from the onset, up up up with the switchbacks after the ski hut being particularly slow going – lots of stopping to catch our breath. Still, it was lovely hiking through the pines, and emerging onto the bald of the mountain gave us breathtaking views of the clouds below. The skree heading off the summit on the devil's backbone was steep and nerve-wracking, but as we descended the clouds moved in around us and the whole experience was beautiful and a bit other-worldly. We stopped at the lodge for a burger and beer and took the chairlift down from there – one of my happiest memories from the series!