Decided to hike up Baldy after I learned of its existence from the previous trip report.
As noted in that report, to get to the trail for Baldy, go down to the river first and follow it up to the footbridge. The first sign you see from the parking area is for a different trail.
Lovely conditions in the lowlands; lots of wildlfowers! Glacier Lillies, Western Spring Beauty, Red-flowering Currant, and Trillium are all blooming.
After you gain a couple thousand feet, everything is pretty snow-covered including the trail, but there are numerous bare patches. One such patch supported a nice cluster of Cliff Dwarf-primrose. Saw a Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vultures, and Hermit Thrush in the mid elevations, and Yellow-rumped Warblers up around the summit of Baldy. Also heard some Golden-crowned Kinglets, Red-breasted nuthatch, and other birds.
Trail conditions up top are a bit treacherous in the warm sun. Still bent-over trees from winter are booby traps waiting for a stray boot-step to release them back to verticality. And there are little bergschrunds around every dark object that has started collecting heat, sometimes difficult to see around fallen logs or rocks. More than once my leg plunged unexpectedly into a hole. Microspikes were helpful, but good foot placement was crucial.
Beautiful views from the top of Baldy into the core Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
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