This was my third time hiking Baldy. The first time was about 5 years ago and I didn't summit. That attempt and the next were both overnighters. And while I did summit the second time, this third time on Baldy had me up and down the mountain at a much faster pace than either of my other visits. We were back at our car in just under five hours (not including about 25 minutes of breaks), which is an accomplishment for me!

We went up the Ski Hut trail and down Devil's Backbone. I like getting the steeper part out of the way and coming down the more gradual path so my knees don't ache quite as much.

We didn't see much wildlife but I was sure glad to have started the hike at 5:30 AM, as the day was really starting to heat up by the time we were at the last mile or two. I felt sorry for the people who were just getting started when we were finishing!

I'm a big fan of Baldy and plan on coming back!