A fun ridge hike.
Normally I pass by this area to go to Manker Flats and thus Baldy, but since that was snowed in I did this lower peak instead. I did it with a Meetup event I organized and we went up the fairly steep use trail on the ridge to the summit.
Just before the top there was a rocky area and apparently the trail used to go around it. However, the recent fire appeared to have ended that option so we scrambled up the rocks. It wasn't that difficult... except for a veritable forest of Poodle Dog Bush. It took careful foot and trekking pole placements to avoid that.
Then, we took the fire road back down. There was some of the PDB there too, but it was easier to avoid.
There was a register but I didn't see a benchmark; it's probably under the sheet metal. As to why there's corrugated sheet metal on the summit, that's a mystery to me.
I had wanted to add on Lookout Mtn - the trailhead starts across the road - but there are no trespassing signs on the access route and a large gate that warns of surveillance cameras. The gate surrounds an RV park that appears to have shut down, but whoever's there now doesn't want visitors. There's a more circuitous way to the summit but the parking for that is in Baldy Village so I decided against it.
Note that the road to the trailhead is closed at Mt Baldy Road so you'll need to park along the latter and walk up.
