This was our second time to the summit of Mt. Baldy. Back in December of 2020, my wife and I hiked to Mt. Baldy with a group of friends. We took the ski lift and started our hike from The Notch, reaching the summit via Devil's Backbone Trail. This time was our first backpacking hike and the Baldy Bowl Trail was probably the wrong trail to choose for this type of hike. Our hiking group jokingly refers to this hike in the middle of summer as our ‘sunrise to sunset hike.' We left Manker Flats just before sunrise and found ourselves at the summit in time to watch one of the most gorgeous sunsets. Taking the Baldy Bowl Trail in the summer saves you from the late morning heat. The trail is on the west side and there are enough trees that can provide shade. We didn't get sunshine until about 11 in the morning when we were almost at the Ski Hut. Speaking of the Ski Hut, there are tables and benches there that provided us a nice respite from the lung-busting hike that up until that point had us gain more than 2200 feet of elevation in a little over three miles. We took our time here eating lunch and taking naps. After resting for almost three hours we hit the trail again. The trail from the Ski Hut does not get any easier. For about a mile and a half, the gain is close to 1400 feet and the trail is relentlessly steep until the summit. The sharp rocks and loose gravel along the trail don't make the Baldy Bowl Trail forgiving on the feet either. But the rewards at the top — enjoying the views, watching a gorgeous sunset, and sleeping under the stars — make this difficult hike all worthwhile. After seeing hikers slipping and falling because of the loose dirt along the steep last mile to the summit, we decided to return instead via the Devil's Backbone Trail the following morning.