Tails from the trails: Mount Baden-Powell

The goal of this week’s “tales from the trails” hike was to assess how much snow is still left on Mount Baden-Powell, the highest mountain in the greater High Desert area.

Only 26 miles southwest of Oak Hills, Mount Baden-Powel is an 8-mile trail along Highway 2 in the Angeles National Forest with 2,775 feet of elevation gain. Although the trail is considerably harder than Quartzite Mountain, it is by no means a challenging hike, just long and drawn out, and hard to navigate in winter conditions.

I made the executive decision to have Lupe, my chihuahua hiking partner, sit this hike out due to somewhat still fresh stitches. It was a decision I knew was right but regretted as I encountered the only other hiking dogs on the trail that day, two small chihuahuas.

On trail

The Vincent Gap Trailhead is adjacent to the Highway 2 closure gate. My car disappeared from view as I headed up the climb, the "cheeseburger" song of the mountain chickadee serving as a sort of welcome to the trail.

With my 28th birthday quickly approaching, a slight ache in my knees and ankles made me realize that I’m not the spry 23-year-old I was the first time I hiked this mountain. The soreness disappeared as my body warmed up, but the stale reminder lingered in the mountain air.

Rounding every left-turning switchback, a view of High Desert outcroppings became visible through the clear morning, a temporary transparency that would soon give way to a controlled burn smoke plume that cooked as the day goldened.

Fallen trees from a melted-out landslide and patches of snow covering the trail distorted the trail, bamboozling me off track.

I'm plenty familiar with being lost in the mountains. My temporary disorientation made me recall times in the outdoors when I was actually, seriously lost and a voice from an old hiking partner came to mind: "Those who survive are the ones who want to survive. Once you've mentally given up, it's all over."

I was only lost for a minute and in no real danger but fight or flight is quick to take over at the slightest inconvenience in the outdoors.

As the dramatic survival instincts subsided, I passed one disguised army green tent on somewhat level ground - what I assumed was a Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) thru-hiker.

Ambitious backpackers with all they own on their backs usually start the 2,650-mile trek from Mexico to Canada in mid-April. It takes one month to reach the SoCal Mountains, leaving the desert behind with sights set on the Northern California and Oregon coast.

I only noticed the tent as the slight rattle of utensils sounded when I passed. Perhaps cold-soaked oatmeal for breakfast, or dehydrated eggs to load up on carbs before an 18-mile day.

My suspicions were confirmed as I later encountered the camper and 13 other PCT hikers on my descent. It seemed the only people hiking the mountain that day were those that had to out of necessity.

Winter in May

I brought microspikes and a hiking pole just in case, half expecting not to use them, but regular snow patch crossings began about an hour into the hike. The snow was consolidated and I had enough confidence in the Vibram soles of my Solomon shoes to not dress in spikes until the descent.

There was no trail about a mile and a half from the summit, just bootprints heading straight up the steep mountainside. The morning snowpack on Mount Baden-Powell is much more consolidated than nearby snow peaks like Mount Baldy, in my opinion.

The snow after 11 a.m., however, I can't vouch for, as it's as much a "suffer fest" of slushed mashed potatoes as any late-morning snowpack in the area.

I practiced the mountaineer rest step on the way up, pausing slightly with each step to not over-exert my energy on the steep cliffside ascent.

I’ve hiked Baden-Powell in both winter and summer conditions. Right now, the upper half of the hike is still very much winter conditions and I do not recommend hiking unless equipped with the right gear.

The most treacherous part of the hike is an exposed ridge traverse from the false summit to the real summit. It was melted of snow as of Tuesday, May 21, encouraging a safe pathway to the American flag-mounted real summit.

No other summit in the area screams 'Merica' into the wind quite like Baden-Powell.

Looking west from the 9,400-foot summit, the city of angels was hidden under a blanket of plush clouds, suffocating the ungodly amount of Los Angeles smog. A cloud-covered Los Angeles is the best view of Los Angeles, the cherry on top of a good hiking day.

I got disoriented yet again on the descent, following this bootprint trail down and then that one before returning to the other again. Eventually, I got tired of slipping down the melting snow and glissaded, sliding down the snow on my bum in my non-waterproof hiking pants, and hiked back to my car with a soaked behind.

Hiking recommendations

For those interested in hiking Mount Baden-Powell soon, I recommend either going with someone who knows the trail or downloading countless offline maps. The upper trail is so submerged under snow that I got disoriented multiple times despite having hiked the trail a handful of times previously.

My go-to offline maps are Gaia GPS and AllTrails.

I also recommend that no one attempt a hike up Mount Baden-Powell without the proper winter gear. This includes microspikes and at least one trekking pole. For hikers who want to go the extra mile, crampons and an ice axe will add an extra layer of safety to the snow hike.

Goretex gaiters and hiking shoes or boots are also a plus when snow hiking. I use Outdoor Research Crocodile Gaiters and Solomon X Ultra 4 Goretex hiking shoes.

For hikers who prefer hiking in dry conditions, I recommend waiting until late June.

Want a specific High Desert trail review? Keep McKenna in shape by suggesting what trail she should hit next. McKenna can be found at mmobley@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Join McKenna as she hikes a new trail each week.