Today’s hike was a very special experience not just for me, but also for my friends Jeremy, Jackie and Alex as this was all of our first times summiting “Old Baldy”. The four of us arrived at the trailhead by 6am and immediately started out on our 12-mile trek through the iconic Devil’s Backbone. The hike itself is a relatively easy one until you reach the Mt Baldy Resort (“The Notch”). From there, it is quite the uphill battle (… literally). Upon summiting the famous peak, we were greeted by dozens of fellow hikers — it was a Saturday morning after all. The views from atop Mt Baldy/San Antonio are absolutely stunning. With only three of the Original SoCal 6 left (Baldy being No. 9 of 18 in total), we are more ready than ever to complete this challenge!