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Mount Baden-Powell

Posted on November 24, 2009 by: Traveler

  • Mount Baden Powell seen from the Angeles Crest Highway. The ravine running alomst vertically up the mountain (above the ridge in the foreground) is a prominent turning point for the thirty something switchbacks winding up the steep north face.
  • Trail conditions for my first summit attempt. With inadequate supplies, I turned back at 7,900ft(ish) and didn't return for nineteen months.
  • Vincent Gap / Gulch, elevation 6565ft.
  • Large parking lot at the trailhead. The PCT crosses over the Angeles Crest Highway (left side, out of view) and picks up with the same four mile trail to (near) Baden-Powell's summit.
  • Trailhead to Baden-Powell / PCT. I didn't mention in previous pic that there are pit toilets (right side foreground building).
  • PCT sign along the beginning of Baden-Powell trail.
  • This unnamed peak is on the opposite side of the Angeles Crest Highway. You can slowly see yourself rise above this summit and then have outstanding views of the desert valley waaay below.
  • This trail is cut across the steep north face of Baden-Powell. There are thirty-something switchbacks in all and the grade of the trail is nothing compared to the steepness of the actual mountain.
  • Some pretty old oak specimens at a turn in the switchback near the ravine heding straight up the northeast side of the mountain. This ravine is where most switchbacks turn back west to cut up/ across once again.
  • Beer Gut at another large oak specimen.
  • This bench is right at a turn looking down on the northeast side ravine, the Angeles Crest Highway and outstanding mountain vistas.
  • Angeles Crest Highway (2) seen from the bench area. This just after the first mile marker post.
  • This is a pretty interesting band of rock as well. The bench is just to the left side.
  • There are many open spots on the trail heading up with window views but the slope is heavily wooded.
  • Large trunk of dead tree and west turn of a switchback. The ravine is just below and you can see it coursing between the two ridges in this pic.
  • This picture is from my first attempt at Baden-Powell but it looked no different than this time around.
  • The new Lamel Spring sign. Missing are ther other points of interest and milage from the old, decrepit sign; next picture.
  • The old, decrepit Lamel Spring junction sign. We walked the 0.25 miles (it seemed closer) to the bubbling puddle.
  • This is the view continuing up the Baden-Powell trail with the switchback below also in view. Lamel Spring is 0.25 miles away (behind from where I stand).
  • The short walk over to Lamel Spring is along a pretty thin trail with a steep slope on the up and down portions.
  • I stand at a small outcrop around a small left arcing bowl in the short trail spur to Lamel Spring.
  • Beer Gut standing next to Lamel Spring. There is enough water bubbling from the earth creating a tiny flow out of this clear bubbling puddle. A grate was placed above to block out falling debris.
  • Lamel Spring. I don't know where the last water source for a PCT thru-hiker is, but at just 0.25 miles from the main trail, this spring offers safe, reliable water.
  • Mile marker two.
  • Switchback up heading back east along the north face of Baden-Powell.
  • View looking down (north to northwest) at the valley below.
  • Just past the two mile marker is a relatively flat bench area to the right side (north) of the trail. Close to reliable water (Lamel Spring) this might make a decent overnight spot for a PCT hiker...
  • ... although an established campground is nine miles away at Islip Saddle. I can see how mileage and stopping points become a trade-off of a PCT hiker, many of who log 25-30 plus miles a day to the next campsite.
  • The Angeles Crest Highway heading west. The PCT does not cross the Angeles Highway again until Islip Saddle.
  • From the edge of the (relatively) flat bench looking back up to where the trail is.
  • Being November (and the shady north slope of baden-Powell, we saw small patches of snow from a recent storm.
  • Civilization to the northwest.
  • At this switchback we decided to scramble a little off trail to the edge of the northeast ravine snaking up the face of Baden-Powell.
  • Nothing technical (not by a long shot) but easily identifiable as it has three dead snag side by side.
  • Standing at the edge, this ravine was just a small feature. From the Angeles Crest Highway (first picture) this ravine appeared to be a prominent terrain feature.
  • The third mile marker was cracked from its base. We planted it between roots and secured it for the winter with a couple boulders.
  • The ground cover slowly gives way to barren rocky / sandy soil mixture. The tree species slowly give way from oak, pine, cedar and firs to a healthy Limer Pine grove.
  • These large trunked trees (I believe Limber Pines) are near the summit.
  • Close up trunk detail of one of the Limber Pines from the previous picture.
  • The trail switchbacks around to what appeared to be the upper most point of the ravine.
  • The ravine's upper portion is to the right of this tree (just a small ditch now).
  • Knife edge ridge along final summit push of Baden-Powell.
  • Just ahead is the Dawson Saddle junction of the PCT and Baden-Powell. The PCT continues along the ridge in the background.
  • Looking down to the left side of the knife edge ridge into Mine Gulch.
  • Dawson Saddle junction. Just beyond is the Wally Waldron tree, a 1,500 year old Limber Pine.
  • Sign identifying the Wally Waldron Tree.
  • Just past Wally on the top of the knife edge. I was nearly blown down by the gale force winds (not joking) rising up this slope.
  • Summit of 9,399ft Mount Baden-Powell.
  • View into Mine Gulch from Baden-Powell's summit. The white (snow) area on the opposite ridge is the Mountain High ski area in Wrightwood, CA.
  • Just below Baden's summit stands a monument honoring the Boy Scouts and it's founder; Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell.
  • USGS summit marker for Baden-Powell. We couldn't find it at first... from the previous pic looking down at the memorial, it is off to the right.
  • Summit monument honoring Lord Baden-Powell and the Boy Scouts.
  • Each side of the monument has a different excerpt, the northeast side is dedicated to Lord Baden-Powell.
  • Go west young man... go west! Actually, we had to retreat from the summit due to the howling winds.
  • The roots of the Wally Waldron Tree seemed like a perfect refuge.
  • By sitting just below the ridge tucked into Wally's roots we had hardly any wind flow... it was still near freezing though.
  • Lunchtime views from our refuge in Wally's roots. Beer Gut broke out the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale's.
  • Enjoying some Sierra Nevada in the shelter of Wally's roots.
  • The gnome was even cold :)
  • The root system of the Wally Waldron Tree propped it above the ridgeline and we could crawl through. .
  • Share the love with a gnome.
  • Final switchback down (thats the parking lot above). Great hike that I hope to snowshoe this winter.

Closest City: Wrightwood
State: California
Country: United States

Mount Baden-Powell

Angeles National Forest

Misguided Adventures:  I can deal with unplanned circumstances and “fly by the seat of my pants” situations, but there is nothing more irksome than embarking upon a new adventure only to be turned around or (worse) not complete my intended goal.  I once attempted to hike the Bear Canyon Trail of Mount Baldy with Beer Gut only to be turned around by the CA Highway Patrol at the intersection of Mountain Ave and Mount Baldy Road.  Seems our exact trail (area) was set ablaze courtesy of Mother Nature (lightning) dictating we choose another trail.  A second (solo) attempt had me following bunk trail markings up a steep ravine.  These were left over by the firefighters battling the blaze which thwarted our first bid.  Third time up the Bear Canyon Trail was a charm J! 

On another occasion, I walked a course through Kings Canyon N.P. via Bubbs Creek, over Forrester Pass (down to Tyndal Creek, over the Bighorn Plateau, down to the Kern River Hot Springs, up to Chagoopa Plateau, down to big Arroyo, up to Kaweah Gap) and finally down to Crescent Meadow via the High Sierra Trail in Sequoia N.P.  That trip had some of the steepest daily vertical gain / loss I had ever backpacked and the countryside was absolutely gorgeous.  The trip is truly memorable but the reason for that adventure was to summit Mount Whitney via the “backside” at the Crabtree Ranger Station and Guitar Lake, a side trip which would have tacked on two days and thirty or so miles to our itinerary.  I do admit, our preparation for this trip could have been better.  Not having hiked higher than my Bedford Peak (3,800ft) “conditioning hike” and living at practically sealevel, we made it 14 mile in to Vidette Meadow (9,500ft) on the first day.  The following morning had us walking 3,700ft higher to Forrester (13,200ft)… my head was spinning.  We passed our Whitney bid because I felt like such a laggard there was no way I could envision attempting a summit almost 1,300 feet higher.  I didn’t take into account our summit bid would have been without a fifty-pound backpack and we would have had two more acclimation days above 10,000 feet.  Our 83-miler was a feat in and of itself (I feel) but it still felt like we had not accomplished a major goal of the trip in summiting the highest point of the contiguous United States.

Baden-Powell:  There are other misguided adventures I have had to eventually repeat (in order to complete) which brings me to Mount Baden-Powell.   I first took a shot at Baden-Powell’s summit (9,399ft) in April of 2008.  My route was going to be pretty straight forward, from Vincent gap (6,565ft), I would be walking four miles along the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT), summit and then walk back down the same.  These four miles up comprised thirty-something switchbacks along the north slope of Baden-Powell so almost immediately, even in April, snow covered the trail.  I was hiking in shorts and short-sleeves, had no map or snowshoes and didn’t leave any notice with the Forest Service or the wifey of my intended trail.  I just wanted to get in a quick hike but, at around 7,900 feet, I called it quits and headed back with the promise (to myself) I would summit this mountain. 

Fast-forwarding to November 20th of 2009 brings Beer Gut and I to Baden-Powell.  We wanted to summit via Dawson Saddle (7,903ft) but the gate was closed at Vincent Gap.  This kind of threw us off because there was no snow along the Angeles Crest (Highway 2).  Beer Gut had read online of hikers who had used the Dawson Saddle trailhead just two weeks prior but the gate was apparently closed for the winter season.  Oh well, we will take the PCT up!

An Ode’ to Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell:  Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell  (1857-1941) is credited as being the “Chief Scout of the World” and the founder of the Boy Scouts.  After his distinguished service in the British Royal Army’s 13th Hussars, B-P as he was known, set out to a new service, applying the skills he had learned to a younger generation.  This next excerpt on B-P’s legacy was taken from the link below: “In 1907 he held an experimental camp on Brownsea Island, Poole, Dorset, to try out his ideas. He brought together 22 boys, some from private schools and some from working class homes, and took them camping under his leadership. The whole world now knows the results of that camp.”

An Ode’ to the PCT:  Vincent Gap to Baden-Powell’s summit is but a four-mile stretch of the gi-normous 2,650 mile long PCT.  Beginning from its southern terminus of Campo, CA, at the Mexican border, the PCT winds through California, Oregon and Washington states to the northern terminus of E.C. Manning Provincial Park, British Columbia, at the U.S. / Canadian border.  The master-crafters of this famed trail tried to keep as many “switchbacks” as possible inside National Forest land and Wilderness Areas… and for the most part, they achieved that feat.  I have personally walked along the PCT for only small portions (as part of longer hikes) in areas like Big Bear Lake of the San Bernardino National Forest, Yosemite (the 211 mile John Muir Trail is also part of the PCT), the Rae Lakes area of Kings Canyon and in the Sequoia backcountry.  Each time, I envision myself forgetting the rest of my duties as a husband (now a father), an employee (making MOA a full time gig is another dream J) and chores which become part of the daily grind.  I just want to “go for it!” I can only dream of one day taking on the challenges of a PCT “thru-hiker”.  If you end up hiking alongside a weary looking individual for this four mile portion of the PCT, give them a congrats and ask if you can be of assistance… just be sure not to rub it in how much farther they have to go.

Vincent Gap Parking lot:  Baden-Powell’s north face is steep.  The trail winding up is a series of switchbacks gradually traversing the steep incline.  The trail is very well maintained and Baden-Powell is actually one of the most popular dayhikes in the san Gabriel Mountains of the Angeles National Forest.  For me, a person who had just recently started getting back “acclimation lungs”, the hike was very enjoyable and not terribly steep (the total incline is about 2,834ft). 

A ravine heading up the northeastern flank of Baden-Powell is also where most of the eastern switchbacks turn back west.  This ravine can be identified in the first picture of this write-up (almost centered over the ridge in the foreground), taken at a pullout along the Angeles Crest Highway before dropping down to Vincent Gap.  At around 9,000ft, the top of this ravine turns appears as a small ditch.   

PCT logos line a wooden railing at the start of this hike winding up the first switchback and after that, we were solo.  The thick forest canopy kept us in the shade where the air temperature remained cooler.  I recognized trail portions from my spring ascent; it was just greener than that solo attempt.  After about a mile, a bench is erected at one of the eastern switchbacks.  There are nice views of the Angeles Crest Highway below. 

Just before the two-mile mark was a nice sturdy sign pointing to Lamel Spring.  I remembered passing the old, decrepit sign before.  It lay battered and broken on the ground.  I managed to prop it up with a boulder and snow… apparently it was replaced.  Junction mileage (from Lamel) was absent on this newer version but I also included a photo of the old sign… I’m sure the trail distances have not changed.  We walked the 0.25 miles to Lamel Spring and saw a tiny (clear) puddle bubbling from the ground.  This would definitely be “filterable” for a PCT “thru-hiker” but we had plenty of water. 

We passed the 2-mile signpost shortly after returning to the PCT.  We saw an open area to the right side of the trail.  It was still wooded, just flatter than the main trail slope and would be suitable for camping with plenty of wood for fires and close to Lamel Spring.  We walked northward to the edge of this flat bench and could see the Angeles Crest Highway angling off to the west.

By the third mile marker, we were higher than most of the surrounding areas to the north and west.  Views of civilization opened up and we could see the grid line patterns of roads in the valleys far below.

Above 8,000ft, a “dusting” of snow from a recent storm remained in shady pockets of the trail.  Larger swaths of ground soon began to retain snow and above 9,000ft, the ground cover eventually gave way to barren rock and sandy soil.  Mountain High ski area can be seen to the northeast.  The approach to the final summit is along a wind swept knife-edge ridge.  Tree species at the trailhead turned from oak, pines, firs and cedars to Limber Pines near the summit ridge.    

Wally Waldron Tree:  Just below the final rise to Baden-Powell’s summit is a trail junction listed on my Tom Harrison: Angeles High Country Trail Map at 9,245ft above sea level.  The left fork (staying on the ridge) heads up to B-P proper 0.1 miles away.  The right fork is the PCT (Dawson Saddle junction) heading along to the summits of Mt Burnham (8,997ft) and Throop Peak (9,138ft).  The PCT does not cross the Angeles Crest Highway again until Islip Saddle (6,670ft) about 7.7 miles away.  Just above the trail junction is one of the crazy cool Limber Pine specimens, a 1,500 year-old stud called the Wally Waldron Tree.  I dare say Wally is unmistakable with his outstretched root system bracing against the gale forces constantly assaulting and his precarious perch with commanding views down Mine Gulch far below the opposite side of the knife ridge.  The trunk of Wally actually appears to be many smaller trees fused together as I have seen Giant Sequoias do.   I felt as if I were going to blow off the ridge while standing on top of the rise taking a side profile picture of Wally (just above the trail).

The Summit At Last:  After 19 months, I finally stood on Baden-Powell’s summit... but only long enough to sign in on the trail register and take a couple photographs.  The wind was howling and I needed to don my long sleeve shirt for warmth.  A shrine sits atop the summit to commemorate the Boy Scouts and its honored founder.

Beer Gut broke out The Gnome for a quick summit picture and had another treat for us.  Every new summit for him is celebrated with a beer.  On Baden-Powell, the flavor was Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.  How fitting, I thought, because we could make out (barely) the southern portion of the Sierras from where we stood.  Unfortunately, the summit didn’t work out for standing still and there were no wind barriers to enjoy lunch.  Our relief came after retreating to the shelter of Wally’s roots.

That lunch was outstanding and Pale Ale above 9,000ft never tasted so good. 

  

       

 

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Mount Baden Powell, Angeles National Forest, San Gabriel Mountains, Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, PCT, Vincent Gap, Dawson Saddle, Angeles Crest Highway, Limber Pine, Wally Waldron Tree, hiking, backpacking, thru hiking, Lamel Spring

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