Mount San Antonio, commonly referred to as Mount Baldy or Old Baldy, is a 10,064 foot summit in the San Gabriel Mountains on the border of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties of California. Lying within the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Angeles National Forest, it is the high point of the range, the County of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
Mount San Antonio's sometimes snow-capped peaks are visible on clear days and dominate the view of the Los Angeles Basin skyline. The peak and a subsidiary one to the west form a double summit of a steep-sided east–west ridge. The summit is accessible via a number of connecting ridges along hiking trails from the north, east, south, and southwest.
I backpacked/hiked up Mount San Antonio on numerous trips with the Sierra Club and Explorer Post 360 for Ice Axe training. There are numerous trails to the peak. We used the "Ski Hut Trail" which follows the east side of the San Antonio Creek canyon to a small backcountry ski hut owned by the Sierra Club. A use trail continues around the left side of the bowl and then to the summit.
Aurelia Harwood, the first female president of the Sierra Club, was active in the area. Mount Harwood, a subsidiary peak of Mount Baldy, is named for her. The Sierra Club built a lodge, also named after her, at Manker Flats in 1930. It is open to Sierra Club members. In 1935 the club added a mountain hut, known as the "ski hut," by the base of the Baldy Bowl near the headwaters of San Antonio Creek. The ski hut burned down that year but was immediately replaced and remains standing today.
Mt. Baldy Hut 1937–1938
The ski hut is operated by the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter and available for year-round use on weekends. It marks the approximate halfway point on the Ski Hut Trail, at an elevation of 8,200 feet.
As of 2023, it has a fully-equipped kitchen, piped water, solar lighting, a wood-burning stove, dormitory loft beds for about sixteen visitors, and an outhouse with a view.
The hut is located at the base of Baldy Bowl, recognized as a superb skiing area in the early 1930s. The Ski Mountaineers section of the Sierra Club, formed in 1935, was granted permission by the U.S. Forest Service to construct a hut in this location.
The hut was built by volunteers, who carried all of the building materials up on their backs; it was completed in January 1936. The hut burned to the ground on September 20, 1936, but was rebuilt (using burros to transport the building supplies), with the replacement hut completed that winter.
The rebuilt hut is preserved as much as possible in its original condition, except that the women’s dormitory has been converted to a tool and storage room, and the failing roof panels had to be replaced, again transported to the hut by human power.
Current information here.
Hiking information here.
The Sierra Club "ice axe training" trips used the lodge at Manker Flats as a base. The club used the ski hut as a day base for the training. The Explorer Post camped at the ski hut using it for the training and hiked to the top of the peak before heading home.
Here is a list of the numerous trips I made:
Date: December 10, 1961 - 8,400' 6 miles RT, Party: Sierra Club - Aubrey Wendling, Hugh Lantz, Bob Kemp, Dave Kemp, Mike O'Haver, Don Deck, John Hooper, Jack Steele, Henry Mandolf. Hut nice - weather cold clouded in - about a foot+ of snow.
Date: February 17-18, 1962 - 6 miles RT, Party: Sierra Club Mountaineering Course with 130 students and instructors - stayed at Harwood Lodge Saturday - Snow practice at Ski Hut on Sunday. Beautiful snow and weather Sunday.
Date: January 19-20, 1963 - 9 miles RT, Party: Explore Post 360 - Hiked to San Antonio Ski Hut for lunch Saturday, then headed for peak - on ridge wind was too high and cold for all but 4. Four made top and back to cabin by about 4 p.m. Five more made top Sunday while others loafed or rock climbed. Left just before noon - on the road by 1 p.m. Home about 5 p.m. No snow except a few patches in gullies.
Date: February 23-24, 1963 - 12 miles RT, Party: Sierra Club Mountaineering Course - Enough snow both days for good ice axe practice. Hiked up and back from Harwood Lodge both Satuday and Sunday.
Date: February 22-23, 1964 - 9 miles RT, Party: Explorer Post 360 - 12 boys plus Bob Brooks and I. Hiked to San Antonio Ski Hut for lunch Saturday - lazed around - cutting wood, etc. Sunday went to peak via south west ridge - windy - 100 MPH on top - Back to cabin for lunch - then home - little snow - mostly patches.
Date: February 27-28, 1965 - 16 miles RT, Party: Sierra Club Mountaineering Course and Explorer Post 360 (10 boys, 1 adult from Post) - Climbed peak via hut with students on Saturday. Climbed peak via devil's backbone Sunday - descended to hut - explored mines and descended near falls.
Date: April 17-18, 1965 (Easter Weekend) - 7 miles RT, Party: Gil Beilke and wife, Brad Sonka, Mike Warren and Don Deck - Climbed to hut from main road in 2-4 feet of snow - messed around - came home.
Date: February 26-27, 1966 - 5 miles RT, Party: Sierra Club Mountaineering Course (Explorers Post 360 helped) - Good snow practice Saturday at Ski Hut Bowl. Left Sunday a.m. for home.
Date: February 18-19, 1967 - 5 miles RT, Party: Explorer Post 360 - Ice Axe practice - Light snow - enough to practice on. John Butler and Norman Hewitt spent night on top.
Date: March 25, 1967 - 5 miles RT, Party: Sierra Club Mountaineering Course - Ice Axe Practice with Explorer Post 360 helping - Adequate snow - good trip.
Date: March 2-3, 1968 - 9 miles RT, Party: Explorer Post 360 Ice Axe Practice - Enough snow for good practice - climbed peak.
Date: February 22-23, 1969 - 6 miles RT, Party: Explorer Post 360 Ice Axe Practice - Snow.
Date: March 29-30, 1969 - 9 miles RT, Party:Explorer Post 360 Ice Axe Practice - Good practice - peak climb.
Date: February 14-15, 1970 - 8 miles RT, Party: Explorer Post 360 Ice Axe Practice (18) - Good practice on fresh snow - peak climb.
Date: February 6-7, 1971 - 8 miles RT, Party: Explorer Post 360 Ice Axe Practice (16) - Good ice axe practice on old icy snow - peak climb.
