Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Are permits required to camp on the Mt. Baldy summit?

I can't find any information requiring a permit to camp on Mt. Baldy's summit. I have looked at http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5246253.pdf but don't seen any such requirement either. Am I correct, that no permit is required?

Have any of you done that in late June/early July? I plan on acclimatizing on top of Baldy to get ready for Whitney and am just curious for what I'm in for. As the time gets closer, if course, I'll watch for the weather report, but I haven't been able to find any weather reports for the summit--just for the Notch which is a couple thousand feet lower.

Brent N

No permit required. However, primo camping spots on top are a definite "first come first serve."

There is no water unless there is still snow on Little Baldy.

If there is a storm system moving through on the dates you plan to camp, I strongly suggest you not camp up there.

You will need a wilderness permit to park at Manker Flats.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the reply. Can you define "primo camping spots?" Does the summit fill up with campers during the summer months. I have done that hike several times and am familiar with the space up there. Are you referring to spots next to the makeshift rock wall/wind breaks? It would be nice to be next to one, but it seems as though there woudl be plenty of room up there to bivy.

Regarding the warning about not camping if a storm system might come through, I'll certainly heed that advice.

Brent N.

Anything behind the rocks, so you don't get blown away by the 100 mph winds :-)

It sounds like you're mostly interested in elevation, so if the summit didn't pan out, just drop down about 100' in elevation (towards LA). There's any number of good spots, mostly shielded from the wind, particularly if all you need is a bivy site.

I was up there yesterday - it was still rather breezy. Some poor buggers were wearing shorts, no gloves, etc.

... which begs the question, on non-storm days and when the Santa Ana's are not blowing, what does it get like up there at night in early summer?

Kevin, thanks for the tip. You are right. I'm just in it to get high enough to acclimatize before Whitney. I get altitude sickness pretty consistently at around 12,000 feet (when coming directly from sea level) and I'm going to try to spend the three weekends before Whitney on Baldy. We have a multi-day pass on Whitney and so I will camp at Outpost and Trail Camp, but I'm just trying to even the odds with some advance elevation trips.

Brent N

Brent - I think you're wise trying to acclimate as much as possible beforehand. I hadn't been to much of anything above 7K' in about 3 months, so choose Baldy yesterday to get a little elevation. I was really sucking wind the last 1 or 2K', even at times on the descent. I'm planning to do a dayhike to Trail Camp on the weekend to help regain some level of acclimatization.

Mostly pleasant (40's to 60's at night). I camped up their 3 times back in June & July (watched fireworks) of 2010. I might have been lucky, but the wind was mild unlike last night when I was on top and the winds were strong and cold. I didn't camp last night. Just hiked around and came down at midnight. I also camped on the ridge at top of the switch backs to the west of the Ski Hut (and a little south down the ridge) in early July 2010. In April 2009, I camped at the Ski Hut and had a freak night of heavy wind, branches falling, and temps in the high teens. I was glad I brought my four season tent and proably will not camp under trees again.

A stay on top of Baldy can be a very pleasant experience, and has been for me most of the time. But twice we've been up there in heavy winds, and even behind the rocks it can be an adventure.

This last weekend it was blowing like crazy up there. We got a little ways up the backbone before turning around. My brother lacks a lot of the proper clothing and equipment for that kind of stuff, and to be truthful, the wind was blowing the desire to go much further out of me anyway!

I'm not surprised that it was cold and windy on Baldy this weekend. I was in Irvine Regional Park on Saturday, and that place was one giant wind tunnel.

So, it sounds like early summer can be pretty pleasant, but winds can occasionally get fierce, although there are good places to bivy below the summit.

Thanks for all of the great reports and tips.

Brent

What I meant by "primo" is that there are rock walls erected from other campers. As noted, it can get nasty windy up there. Even those rock walls provide little comfort.

You may want to bring a bivy, wool hat, balaclava, gloves, primaloft vest or jacket.

As noted in another post, camp below the summit.

As a side note, you may want to check out the crash site on the south slope. Hellcats.

Please leave everything in its place. It is a "memorial."

I like Mt. Baden-Powell better than Baldy for a night on a summit hike...better views.

We go really light...no tents, just enough water and little food...figuring we will eat that Grizzly Cafe once we get down.

No permits required.

With that said, I would head to White Mountain. Sleep at the 11,635' trailhead and bag a 14,246' peak...but that's me.