Old Baldy rests above Baldy Pass, south of Tiffany Mountain on Freezeout Ridge. It shares a pass with its northern neighbors, Mount McCay and Clark Peak. Meanwhile, the north ridge offers the shortest way to the top in a mile.
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Old Baldy at a Glance
Access: Baldy Pass (NF-37)
Round Trip: 2.1 miles
Elevation Range: 6367′-7844′
Gear: none
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Palmer Lake in the AM
It was our fourth time through Toats Coulee, and I had yet to see Palmer Lake up close. So before we left for Old Baldy, we drove north a short way to check out the lake. Several places by the shore provided excellent views.
The water was as serene as I had seen it the day before. Several public boat launches and a residential area lined the east rim. It was surreal to see both Chopaka Mountain and Hurley Peak now at 6600’+ below.
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Baldy Pass via Conconully
I planned to drive to Baldy Pass via Winthrop before Google Maps routed me through Conconully. But I didn’t trust the map in these deep parts of the national forest. I was even more uncertain about the road conditions.
But the drive turned out smooth, the typical bumpy backcountry road. It took us an extra half hour because Google Maps was somewhat optimistic. Nonetheless, going through a new driving route always makes me feel adventurous.
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Old Baldy North Ridge
We started from the pass after a long and rocky drive without a hitch. Two (Josh and Karen?) arrived shortly after we arrived and began walking before us. I wasn’t sure why a barbwire fence was in front of the old trailhead.
We scrambled from the fence before seeing a trail I thought we’d never find. Then, the five of us, including two hikers, followed it briefly. Soon, the path dwindled under the tree debris from the 2006 Tripod Complex Fire.
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Final Scramble on Old Baldy
The few cairns we saw led to nowhere. Soon, we started scrambling up the steep slopes after parting ways with the two. I saw cliffs and buttresses east of the crest from below, so we stayed closer west.
Soon, from atop the cliffs, we hugged the edge of the snow through rocks and sandy paths. The inclined reduced in the last 200′ as views vastly improved. We then walked across the snowfield to the old fire lookout.
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Old Baldy Summit Views
Besides the leftover snow on the north side, the area was pretty dry. In contrast, taller peaks to the west still had a considerable amount. But starting above 6000′ had made the nearby places look like rolling hills.
The nearby 8000’+ peaks around Tiffany Mountain looked less exciting from this angle. The most dramatic high points were west of Chewuch River, including Sherman Peak and Big Craggy Peak.
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Outro
After a while, the two hikers showed up, and we chatted the entire time. The highlight of the outing was seeing a glider over the hills. But it was one of the shortest trips this year, with two whopping miles roundtrip!
Last month, we drove home via North Cascades Highway. So today, we took the scenic way east by the Columbia River. But beforehand, we stopped at my favorite ice cream place out here–Sheri’s Sweet Shoppe.
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