East Baldy 95

Weather:  79º, sunny

About this Hike:  Just over two years ago I hiked up East Baldy. I was intrigued by the historic plane crash site near the summit. Back in 2024 we were coming off a winter of solid snow pack, and snow fields on the mountain made for an unpleasant hike. Now coming off two lackluster winters, I knew snow wouldn't be a problem on Baldy this year. I wanted to experience East Baldy in drier conditions and see if there are any additional airplane artifacts that were buried in snow last time. 

I forgot just how nice East Baldy is. It's seldom a steep climb, and it remains within forest for most of the hike. There's a lot of unique rock formations to enjoy, and it frequently opens up into stunning viewpoints. 

Unfortunately, a lot of the surrounding forest is succumbing pine beetle--a problem happening all over the western US. Many of the spruces and firs have turned an unpleasant brownish-orange color. Some of the worst die off is in the meadow surrounding the east fork of the Little Colorado River. Thankfully, there is still plenty of healthy old-growth forest to enjoy further up-trail. 

I reached the plane crash site in just over two hours--quite a bit faster than in 2024 when I could've used snowshoes. The only obstacles that slowed me down were areas of deadfall across the trail. Most of these have a side route carved around them, but some were an obstacle course to navigate. 

I didn't find any additional airplane wreckage at the summit. The pieces that I saw two years ago are all that is easily visible. However, mother nature must know this is ultimately a gravesite. The area around the crash is a field of beautiful mountain lupines. 

The wind was howling something fierce near the summit. It was making a eerie whistle through the stands of toothpicks that used to be trees. Some of these were crashing against each other adding to the cacophony. While I ate lunch near the crash site last time, I opted not to do so today. Judging from the amount of deadfall that litters these upper reaches of Mount Baldy, I thought the risk of a tree falling on me was too high. I took some photos and then began my descent back down, glad to have enjoyed East Baldy again in warmer conditions.