Hiked Mt. Baden-Powell on Saturday before possible dicey late Fall weather. We started around 8:30am and found parking at the parking lot (though it did look full around 9am from above).

The weather was cool when we started, which made the switchbacks a lot more bearable. The fair weather probably was the reason why there were so many hikers on trail. We also saw a number of hikers with well-behaved doggos.

It was a windy day as forecasted, but for the first 2/3 of the ascent the mountain itself protected us from the chill. We could hear the winds howling but only felt gentle breezes. The view during this part of the climb was sunny and we could see blur skies above and stretches of the desert cities below. As we continued our ascent, we could see the tops of some clouds over the valleys of surrounding mountain ranges.

Towards the end of the second set of which backs, a giant mass of cloud took over half the sky, and whisps of clouds churned by with the intensifying winds. I could feel the temperature take a notable drop even under my down puffy as I stepped into the mist.

We approached the unprotected (and by now very windy) ridge leading to the final ascent to the summit. I stopped to describe this part of the hike to my hiking partner since the clouds surrounding us made it hard to see far enough ahead for her to gage the approach. We safely made it across, admired the old tree, and push ahead past most of the clouds for the summit.

We took some summit photos, stopped to eat a short lunch, and then packed back up to head down. Having been in weeks of So Cal heat wave, the 30 something degree weather with windchills lowering the feel to the teens was pretty hard for us to bear.

The clouds followed us during most if the descent. We finished before the rain hit, but the clouds have clearly arrived by the time we made it down to the parking lot. We stuck around the city of Wrightwood to eat, check out the visitor center, and visit a cat arcade, so we saw the rain roll in at 4pm.

Maybe it's because I haven't hiked since August, but my legs are super sore today XD It was still a very cool hike through a range of weather!