Taking the steepest trail up Mt Baldy to three neighboring peaks.
Register Ridge gains about 2600' in 1.2 miles, so it's fairly steep. I did it a couple years ago and, while it seems to be currently a little looser than it was before, it's still a fairly solid tread and it's hard to get lost.
However, I heard a voice "Sir, you haven't been above 8k' for eight months" when I hit that level, and not being acclimatized to the altitude made the hike a little difficult and slowed me down. I'll be back soon so subsequent hikes at that altitude should be OK.
Anyway, I took Register Ridge to where it crosses the Backbone Trail but, instead of taking the latter trail right away as before, I took the short trip up to Mt Harwood. While a small peak, it has good views. Then, I went west to Mt Baldy and proceeded to West Baldy. It's less than a hundred feet lower than Baldy itself, but you have to dip down to a saddle first. Nevertheless, there isn't much gain involved. It too has good views.
Then, after returning to Baldy itself and fueling up again, I returned via the Baldy Bowl/Ski Hut Trail. The ground there is looser than I remember and I'm not happy to report that I buttslid a couple of times. While these Danner EE boots are a lot better than Merrells, I think part of the problem is I've worn out the soles after less than a year.
