Mount San Antonio
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| Mount San Antonio | |
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 Postcard image of Mount Baldy circa 1910 |
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  Mount San Antonio
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| Elevation | 10,068 feet (3,069 m) NAVD 88 [1][2][3] |
| Location | California, USA |
| Range | San Gabriel Mountains |
| Prominence | 6,224 ft (1,897 m) [4] |
| Parent peak | San Gorgonio Mountain [4] |
| Coordinates | 34°17′20″N 117°38′48″W / 34.28889°N 117.64667°WCoordinates: 34°17′20″N 117°38′48″W / 34.28889°N 117.64667°W[5] |
| Topo map | USGS Mount San Antonio 34117-C6 [2] |
| Type | Granitic |
| Easiest route | Ski lift to Baldy Notch, Devil's Backbone Trail (hike) |
Mount San Antonio, known locally as Old Baldy or Mount Baldy, is the highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, and the highest point in Los Angeles County, California. Mount Baldy's sometimes snow-capped peaks are visible on clear days, and dominate the view of the Los Angeles skyline.
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[edit] Geography
Mount San Antonio has two summits. The eastern summit is higher at an elevation of 10,064 feet (3,068 m) while the west is at 9,988 feet (3,044 m). Nearby is San Antonio Creek, the location of San Antonio Falls. The creek descends through a gorge and forms several waterfalls, the last of which is about a 75-foot (23 m) drop.
[edit] History
The peak, which marks a boundary between San Bernardino County and Los Angeles County [6] is called Baldy because of the absence of trees around the summit. The Tongva tribe call the mountain Yoát or Joat, which means snow, and the Mohave call it Avii Kwatiinyam[7].
Between 1922 and 1927, American physicist Albert Michelson performed a number of experiments involving bouncing a beam of light onto a reflector at Lookout Mountain, a prominent bump on the south ridge of the mountain 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) SW of the peak, from the observatory at Mount Wilson some 22 miles (35 km) distant. The exact distance was very accurately surveyed and using the measurements, the speed of light was calculated to be 299,796±4 km/s.
Mount Baldy, along with the nearby peak known as Thunder Mountain, is currently home to the family owned and operated ski resort Mount Baldy Ski Lifts, the closest resort to Los Angeles. Nearby lies Mt. Baldy Village, a small seasonal community. The village has its own fire department, church, visitor's center, and one school district; Mt. Baldy School (the abbreviation is the standard usage) has about 88 students.[8]
[edit] Climbing
Hiking trails access the summit from three sides of the mountain, and one route is assisted on summer weekends by the availability of a running ski-area chair lift. Many boulders in the foothills suitable for rock climbing and bouldering, in addition to the dozens of off-ramp accessible trails that are known for vigorous hikes.
For mountaineers, the winter and spring offer a snow climbing challenge. The "Baldy Bowl" can be climbed by mountaineers with the aid of the proper equipment. The bowl can be treacherous for inexperienced climbers as sections of Bowl are as steep as 45 to 50 degrees in angle. The steeper sections of the Bowl can only safely be climbed when the snow conditions are good.
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Mount San Antonio". Peakbagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=1338. Retrieved on 2009-01-25
- ^ "NGS FAQs - What are NGVD 29 and NAVD 88?". http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/faq.shtml#WhatVD29VD88. Retrieved on 2009-01-25.
- ^ a b "California 2000 foot+ prominence peaks". Peaklist.org. http://www.peaklist.org/USlists/CAP2000.html.
- ^ "Mount San Antonio". Geographic Names Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:273439. Retrieved on 2008-08-30
- ^ "Official Boundaries of the County of Los Angeles". Los Angeles Almanac. http://www.laalmanac.com/geography/ge20.htm. Retrieved on 2008-08-30.
- ^ Munro, P et al. A Mojave Dictionary Los Angeles: UCLA, 1992
- ^ "Mt. Baldy School official site". http://www.mtbaldy.k12.ca.us/.
