Six-Peak Traverse in the Baldy Area Above the Sea of Clouds ☁️⛰️

I haven’t joined many group outdoor activities lately, but last weekend I went on an organized hike around Mt. Baldy and met so many awesome outdoor buddies! 🌟 The weather wasn’t perfect—we experienced dark clouds, drizzling rain, and even some thunder—but we were also rewarded with breathtaking sea of clouds and a beautiful rainbow after the rain! 🌈💧 Trip Report 🌅 Morning: We started at 6:30 AM from Manker Flats Trailhead and headed straight up the ridgeline to Devil’s Backbone Trail. This section was steep—gaining 2,600 ft over just 1.5 miles—a real test of endurance! We continued west to summit Mt. Baldy, took a short break, then pushed further west to Mt. West Baldy. After that, we backtracked east to summit Mt. Harwood. By around noon, we began descending east along Devil’s Backbone toward The Notch at the Baldy ski area. We refueled there (you can buy cold Coke, beer, hot food, refill water, and use restrooms 🥤🍔) before starting the afternoon “3T” hike. 🌄 Afternoon: While Mt. Baldy was getting rain, our area stayed surprisingly clear—just some passing clouds occasionally blocking the sun. ☀️ The 3T Trail is well-established—part of it even follows ski runs. First, we summited Mt. Thunder (top station of the Thunder chairlift—I’d skied here in winter! 🎿). Then we left the ski area and hiked up Mt. Telegraph, before continuing south to summit Mt. Timber. The afternoon weather stayed pleasant with occasional sunshine, and we even spotted a lovely rainbow in the distance! 🌈 After finishing the peaks, we descended to Icehouse Saddle, then continued down to Icehouse Trailhead. As we reached the saddle, clouds finally moved in, and light rain started around sunset. We put on rain jackets and headlamps 💡🧥 and carefully descended, arriving back at Icehouse Trailhead about 40 minutes after sunset. We shuttled back to Manker Flats using a second car we’d parked earlier, wrapping up an epic day! This route is physically demanding—total stats: 📏 18 miles / 28 km 📈 6,500 ft / 2,000 m elevation gain Have you hiked the Baldy six-peak loop? What’s your favorite challenging trail near LA? Share your stories below! 👇🥾 #HikeTheWorld #JustStartWalking #MtBaldy #AngelesNationalForest #LAOutdoors #SoCalHiking #PeakBagging #CloudInversion #AdventureSquad #TrailVibes