November 29, 2014
At 8:00 a.m. we began the Mt. Baden Powell hike from Vincent Gap. The trail is well kept with pine forest shading this North-facing slope. Although the trail may appear simple and straightforward, the pine trees surrounding the trail are full of beauty and expressive in a natural way. Most of the trunks are upright, but we encountered some that are arched, some that have curls at the base of the trunk, some standing together in clumps as if they are in a tree gathering, and some that are just a bit windswept and slanted. There are quite a number of trees that are no longer green, but these bare trees still show a majestic beauty.
The trail climbs steeply and steadily. As we progressed in elevation, the views of the Antelope Valley became spectacular. There was some scattered snow at higher altitudes along the trail, still hanging on the slope of the mountain, probably due to a short storm that blew through the previous week. Before we knew it, the trees thinned, the sky became open and we were on the ridge line, being greeted by the 1500-year-old limber pine tree and an amazing view of the Pine Mountain Ridge and Mt. Baldy. We continued the short distance to the summit.
We made it! At the bare peak, 9400 feet above sea level we had clear panoramic views of the Antelope Valley, nearby mountains and ridge line. To the south, we could see haze settled over the Inland Empire and Los Angeles, with Catalina Island on the horizon. Absolutely spectacular. The summit has a monument dedicated to Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boys Scouts and the man whom the mountain is named after.
It was blustery and cold at the summit. We stayed a very short time, taking in as much of the beauty as we could viscerally, then descended quickly to warm up. Our round trip was about 8 miles, which we hiked in just under five hours.
More images of the hike can be found here.