May 22, 2018 — A few years ago, I did Mt. Baldy via the standard loop route, and a few days ago, I did a much longer loop that included Mt. Baldy. Today, I figured I'd go the back way, on the North Backbone Trail, bagging a few peaks along the way to create a traverse of Wright Mountain, Pine Mountain, Dawson Peak, and Mt. San Antonio (Mt. Baldy). It ended up being pretty difficult, because not only did the route require hitting three peaks, but it also meant going back over the same peaks.
Starting from the Guffy Campground, take the Pacific Crest Trail until you hit the saddle between Wright Mountain and Pine Mountain. I opted to bag Wright Mountain, but it's forested and has no views, so likely not worth it if you're just going for a scenic hike. Head down onto the North Backbone Trail itself, which is pretty well-defined and has a small section of Class 2 to gain Pine Mountain. Otherwise, it's a rollercoaster of a route with steep sections all the way to and from Mt. Baldy.
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