It's been three years since I last hiked Mount Baldy and four years since I hiked it with my son Ryan and his new bride Madison (married 7/13/18). We decided to hike it the way we did four years ago as a loop up the Ski Hut Trail and down the Backbone Trail with the option of a beer at the lodge and a ski lift ride down to the parking lot.

We arrived at the parking area at 7:45am to find it pretty crowded. We booted up, hit the bathrooms and got on the trail by 8:05am. We reached the very crowded summit before noon and enjoyed our lunch away from the crowded top.

The hike down the Backbone Trail was tough on my knees and ankles but we soaked up the beautiful views.

We decided to get a beer at the lodge and enjoyed it with some of our uneaten lunch snacks. We did not take the ski lift down this time but hiked the dirt road instead. We got back to the car and hit the road home to enjoy a nice soak in the jacuzzi and a lasagna dinner.