Dale Matson
Click On Photographs To Enlarge
Valley Haze
Trail Along Ridge
U.S.G.S. Marker At Baldy Peak
Photograph Of My Wife And Me Taken By A Friend
Central Sierra View From The West
The hike to Big Baldy is about 1.5 hours from Fresno CA off
Highway 180 eastbound. Once inside the park, there is a fork with 180 heading
to Cedar Grove and The General’s Highway (158) heading south. After about 10
miles southbound on 158, you will come to a sign on your right that says, “Big
Baldy Trailhead”. If you pass the sign and go a bit further, you will see a
road to your left that heads to Big Meadow. There is limited parking on the
shoulder by the trailhead sign. The trail follows a ridge and is about five
miles total out and back.
The trailhead elevation is about 7,500’ with about
500’ of elevation gain outbound by the time you reach Big Baldy. A person could
ski or snowshoe the ridge in the winter. [After a fresh snowfall, sometimes the
road is closed at the junction with highway 180 for snow removal]. I noticed
flags in the trees marking the route. This hike is of only moderate difficulty
but there is no water along the route. The view on top of Big Baldy is well worth
the short hike. It allows for a panorama of sorts and you can see Kaiser Peak to the north.
There is a private resort “Montecito Sequoia” just south of
the trailhead on highway 158. They have a lodge, cabins, groomed ski trails in the winter and
eating facilities. Call ahead to see if they are open and the road is open to
them in winter. The view of the Sierras from the lodge porch is wonderful.
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