The trail began up steep Baldy Trail and was largely unmaintained (not well-traveled) for the second half (not pictured because I was so focused on stepping over overgrown plants and avoiding prickly plants!). Baldy Trail is a stark comparison to Bear Valley in terms of crowd level. Whereas Bear Valley had a moderate amount of hikers, walkers, and families, Baldy Trail was eerily quiet except for an older group of naturalists I passed after about 30 minutes of hiking.
I popped out onto Sky Trail and heard voices and smelled the ocean. I didn’t go far enough southwestward on Sky Trail to determine who the voices belonged to nor did I see the ocean. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the fog and the trees shrouded in mist, almost as if they were from another era, and I was merely a time traveler. Parts of the trail were surprisingly muddy and the cool, crisp air felt refreshing. There were several more people on this trail and I always wonder where people started, where they’re going, and why they decided to go on this particular trail at this particular park.


At this point, I was starting to feel exhausted and wanted to get back to the car to rest. I decided on Meadow Trail because the Mount Wittenberg trail seemed to climb more, even though the mileage back to the Visitor Center was shorter. I saw a couple people on this trail, even a daring lady climbing up the steep slopes as I was trying not to slip as I made my way down.


Bear Valley
Crowd level: minimal-moderate