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 Reporter |
Summary: This is a strenuous hike up to the 9400 foot peak of Mount Baden-Powell. The hike, up 40 switchbacks, takes you through an amazing range of vegetation. Along the way you will see Oaks, Jeffery pines, Sugar Pines, Incense Cedar, Lodgepole Pines, White Fir, and near the summit the knarled Limber Pines. The views from the summit are breathtaking, looking over the Mojave desert and Southern Sierra. This is a great training day hike for a future backpacking trip. Trailhead: Take the Angeles Crest Highway (2) for 53 mikes from La Canada to the Vincent Gap Parking area. The signed trailhead is at the northwest edge of the parking area. NOTE: DUE TO A ROAD CLOSURE, THIS HIKE CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED VIA WRIGHTWOOD, NOT OVER ANGELES CREST EAST BOUND! (Lat:34.372526 Lon:-117.767223) Trail Guides for Mount Baden Powell: Day Hikers Guide to Southern California by John McKinney (Olympus Press) Trails of the Angles - 100 Hikes in the San Gabriels by John W. Robinson (Wilderness Press) 101 Hikes in Southern California by Jerry Schad (Wilderness Press) Best Seasons: Fall, Summer, User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Ranger Contact: US Forest Service, 661-296-9710 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Jim Zuber, who has posted 104 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 7 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by Ron on 10/8/2009 Linda and I hit the trail at 0820 and were on the summit by 1020 a.m. Took in the views, signed the register, and snapped a few photos but it was 47 degrees on top with the wind blowing so after about 10 minutes we headed down. We were back at the 4Runner at 1150. Total hike time was 3.5 hours, not bad with the stops and photo ops. Another beautiful day to be in the mountains!! 
Reviewed by PK on 10/7/2009 Despite the Station Fire having closed the 2, one can still access the forest at Vincent Gap (which is where the 2 is closed going Westbound). Did this very early morning on Wednesday, so it was pretty cold and quite breezy in places, especially at the top. Awesome views though throughout. Went at a really lazy pace, with lots of stops to snap pics and wiggle my toes and fingers, so it took about 5.5 hours. Go me.
Reviewed by Koger on 8/3/2009 Hiked 7/27/09. This was a monster of a hike. the elevation + the gain = a good workout. The first couple of miles go by pretty quickly. The last mile is pretty tough going. There's lots of evidence of shortcutting on the switchbacks. Please stay on the trail to help prevent erosion. At the summit, the register box was filled with business cards and other junk. Other than those two little issues it's a pretty beefy hike and only recommended for those who can handle it. Bugs weren't a problem except at the summit. Made it up in 2.5 hours and down in 2hrs.
Reviewed by Tom N. on 6/12/2009 06-11-09 Nice hike. I got to the top in 2hrs 8min. The trail was in great shape. I wish people would not cut the switchbacks though. Even though there were lots of clowds the views were great. The many moutain peaks rising above the lowlying fog banks was beautiful. The temp was about 55 degrees at the top with a 15mph breeze making it chilly when the clowds obscured the sun. It is really too bad that the register box is so bad. I did not bother leaving my name as it seems to be more of a trash can than anything else. The Limber Pine grove is worth a visit. I will be hiking either Baden-Powell or Baldy weekly for the next month as preparation for the JMT in August. This was a nice hike.
Reviewed by pisi on 6/8/2009 5 stars despite the road noise. well maintained trail with an easy grade in most places. about half the hike is spent walking along ridges with spectacular 180 degree views. this is definitely our preferred approach to baden-powell. the sharp ridges and rugged terrain reminded us of devil's backbone on the way to baldy. trail was not too crowded. we probably saw 20-30 or so people on a sunday compared with well over 100 in icehouse canyon the day before.
Reviewed by Joseph on 5/25/2009 I'm 6'5" 300lbs i was able to do this hike with a bit of a push, it was beautiful did the mountain in 4.5 hours with a 20+ min stay on the summit and some joggign back down. Snow is still there on the upper slopes around mi 3.5 so try and take the little side trail especially of the snow banks have been in the sun for a while..
Reviewed by Bettie on 5/22/2009 Did this one again, but this time without the snow! Most of it is gone, except for a little covering the trail near the top. Went up Vincent Gap, over to Dawson's Saddle and back along the highway. Really nice, and the 2 to Glendale is open now!
Reviewed by Bettie on 4/29/2009 My husband and I did this today. We encountered snow soon after beginning on the trail. The trail disappeared about a mile and half up. We were able to trudge across a few passes, but had to make our own snow route all the way up. Once we got to the ridge the snow disappeared but appeared again right below the summit. I wouldn't recommend this hike without crampons or at least some poles at this point. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: California Hiking, California Trails, California Hikes, Los Angeles County Hiking, Los Angeles County Trails, Los Angeles County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||