Hiking: Mount Baldy

Devil's Backbone Trail starts at Mount Baldy Notch (top of chair #1). The initial section leads up the slopes of chair #4, from where the trail follows the east ridge to the summit. Instead of using chair #1, a 3.6 mile 1,700 foot dirt road can be hiked up and/or down. Devil's Backbone Trail and Ski Hut Trail can be combined into an 11 mile 3,900 foot loop.

Ski Hut Trail or Baldy Bowl Trail starts at Manker Flats. The initial section leads up a dirt road, with a view of San Antonio Falls. After about a mile, the trail leaves the road to climb the steep mountainside. After about two and a half miles total, it reaches San Antonio Ski Hut (8,300 feet). Then the trail passes through Baldy Bowl and climbs the ridge to its left, which leads to the summit. Ski Hut Trail and Devil's Backbone Trail can be combined into an 11 mile 3,900 foot loop.

Register Ridge or Mount Harwood Trail is the steepest ascent, gaining 2,800 feet of elevation in 1.4 miles (2,000 feet per mile or a 38 percent grade). The initial section is the same as Ski Hut Trail. Shortly after Ski Hut Trail leaves the dirt road is a register on the right, and shortly after the register is the trail fork to Register Ridge. South of Mount Harwood the trail crosses Devil's Backbone Trail and continues to the summit of Mount Harwood (9,551 feet). After reaching Mount Baldy, this hike can be extended to West Baldy (9,988 feet) to include three summits.

Bear Canyon Trail or Mount Baldy Trail is the ascent with the greatest elevation gain. The hike starts on Bear Canyon Road at Mount Baldy Visitor Center. Half of a mile to the trailhead is paved. After 1.5 miles Bear Canyon Trail reaches Bear Flats. Then the trail gets steeper and the terrain gets harder as it climbs the south ridge all the way to the summit.