South Bowl  Mod. Snow

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Type:  Trad, Snow, 2200 feet FA:  Unknown Season:  Winter Submitted By:  Chris Owen on Sep 24, 2007 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (10) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

Clouds above the LA Basin - Xmas 1989

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Description 

A great Alpine experience just an hour away from LA - but don't underestimate the scope of the day out - it's a big one from car to car about 4000ft or more to the summit. A good intro for aspiring alpinists if with a guide/expert.

The Approach:
Start early. Park at the gate by the Falls Road left of the Mount Baldy Road, leave room for access! Hike up Falls Road to the Falls, make a hairpin right and continue to follow the road 'till around a left bend, on the left bank there's a trail through the scree, follow this up then left to the shoulder of the ridge. The trail gets better, follow it all the way to the Sierra Club Hut and a well earned rest. About 2.5 miles and 2000 ft. May be tricky to follow in a big snow year, but there's usually a beaten track.

The Bowl Routes:
From the Hut there are lots of lines, some easier than others, some more direct, some perhaps quite technical - pick your poison. About 2200 ft from the Hut to the summit.

Descent:
One can get back to the Hut in 15 minutes flat with a sequence of glissades - be careful though, don't go too fast or lose control, there can be rocks sticking out or just underneath in a low snow year.

Location 

From Sierra Club Hut.

Protection 

Ice-axe, crampons. If with a beginner then deadmen anchors, rope etc.

Photos of South Bowl Slideshow

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Sastrugi on Mount Baldy	Oh look, there's a storm coming in....	On the summit of Mount Baldy - Xmas 1989 - very wi...
Slogging up to the summit taken by Tony T, who's a...	Noreen Flynn on perfect snow in 1998.	Partway up Baldy Bowl with cool ice formations on ...
What is this, Everest?	The Baldy Chutes	BETA PHOTO: Baldy Chutes, guide pic in the Sierra Club Hut
Approaching the Sierra Club Hut	The Bowl 2/14/2010	Melody Wong & Chris Owen on the summit. Photo by L...
Looking down the bowl from a rest stop.	Looking across to the pinnacles on the south ridge...	Lluis and Melody at the hut.
Sophie, 3 legged dog, makes her 3rd winter ascent ...	Baldy's South Bowl, mid April 2011	Panorama of San Gorgonio and San Jacinto just befo...
The snow sucked but it was a great day out. View ...