We had been planning this for a while. It was a beautiful day. Hot, but it is July in So Cal so what do you expect. I planned to take the loop as I had last September. This time I took my husband. Parking was a bit crowded, but there are other activities on the mountain. The ski lodge was open and the zip liners were there taking advantage of the good weather and the beautiful scenery. Started at the parking area. The waterfall is in good force. We were able to hear it before we could see it. We decided to take a picture at the end of the hike. As we came around, I showed my husband where we would end the loop and we continued our ascent. The lift was running, and we did see people on it to get to the lodge. Came up to the lodge, stopped for a short rest then continued to the beginning of Devil's Backbone. The trail in some spots, was a bit slippery (if that would be the correct word) because of the dry conditions and the use of the trail. All in all, not so bad. We did a bit of a detour and went to the top of Mt. Harwood. From there we could see a small patch of snow still on the side of Mt. Baldy. Kept on the trail to the summit. Not as breezy as before, but a movement of air and a couple of pictures. Couldn't get a good panoramic from the top (I did in September) more fellow hikers on the summit. Took a small break, then continued the journey down Baldy Bowl trail back to the car. There are wildflowers if you take a moment to look. The flowers do bring a smile to my face as they face conditions that we do not normally face, and they do it with grace. Followed the trail and managed to get a panoramic of the Bowl from the center of the Bowl. Quite impressive. The water was flowing and was refreshing to see. Not a dramatic hike, but a great day in the outdoors.
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