My Run Up Mt. Baldy
This past weekend I took a training run up Mt. Baldy’s (Mt. San Antonio) Baldy Bowl/Sierra Ski Hut trail. I was curious to see how my body was going to react to running at altitude. I was pleasantly surprised at how well I was able to perform at 10,000+ feet above sea level. I now have a greater understanding of how I should fuel up prior to my Mt. Whitney assault in September, and what food I need to consume during the run up.
I drank less water than I thought I would on this 11.2 mile run. Considering that I went from 5,000ft above sea level to just over 10,000ft in five miles, I wasn’t that thirsty. That means I need to force myself to drink more that I did. When I did finally make it back to the car and stopped running, my vision was a bit blurred (it like someone turned the Photoshop “brightness” up ten notches too high), which I attribute to a combination of lack of food and altitude. After downing a sandwich I began to feel human again.
My performance was hindered a bit by the wildfires in the Los Angeles area. The smell of smoke was thick, making for less than ideal conditions for a run up this grueling trail. Regardless, I finished the run / hike / run up and down in 3.5 hours. That puts me on target for an 8 hour round trip up Whitney, but I plan to slow the pace down a bit for Whitney. Whitney will be a bit more forgiving on the uphill side, but the length and higher altitude (22 miles @ 14.5K feet) deserves a bit more respect than Baldy.
The trail I took splits off to the left from the dirt road. Follow the road up to the Devil's Backbone. Follow the path to the left for the Ski Hut trail.
Hikers on the trail
Panorama shot, showing the smoke in the air. Click to embiggen...
Click to enlarge
I’m anxious to run this trail again, hopefully on a day with less smoke in the air. Everyone I met in the parking lot and on the trail was very friendly and easy to approach. If you think you might be lost, the hikers around you will gladly point you in the right direction.
Bring plenty of water and a Cliff Bar for the uphill journey. It’ll make your hike much more enjoyable!
I am impressed with your running performances Herman, and the captures of this place are looking so inviting, and no smell from the wildfires on this side of the screen
We just got back from Colorado. We were huffing and puffing on our hikes. It would have been really hard to run anything of what we climbed without spending more time at that altitude!
Sounds like your training is going well. Keep up the great work.
@ TheFortunes: Heh…yeah, you’re lucky you couldn’t enjoy the smoke. But after driving two hours to get to Baldy, I wasn’t about to not head for the summit!
@Husar: Training is going well, and I’m feeling a bit more confident about my upcoming Whitney run. Can’t wait!