A mountain of trouble? The draw - and danger - of California’s Mount Baldy

At 10,064ft high, Mount San Antonio - commonly known as Baldy - towers in the San Gabriel mountains on the eastern edge of Los Angeles. Named for its steep, treeless summit, the mountain is a popular spot for hikers and skiers.

It's also a dangerous one.

On clear days, the mountain cuts a striking figure: a snow-capped peak just a 40-mile drive from a glittering metropolis. But a series of recent disappearances and deaths has shown Mount Baldy's dark side, one that outdoors experts say hikers often underestimate.

In January alone, 15 hikers have been hurt or lost on the mountain, and at least two have died. Among those still missing is the British actor Julian Sands, who was reported lost on 13 January. Authorities continue to search for him, but have been hampered by challenging weather.

Los Angeles is also mourning the death of Crystal Paula Gonzalez, a mother of four known as the "dancing hiking queen" who fell an estimated 500 to 700ft down an icy slope on 8 January. Gonzalez had been documenting her hike on social media, but decided to turn back due to unsafe conditions when she slipped and fell. Fellow hikers - and a rescue helicopter - attempted to render aid, but Gonzalez succumbed to her injuries on the mountain.

There have been dramatic survival stories, too. A 75-year-old hiker named Jin Chung was found alive two days after he failed to return from a hike on Mount Baldy. Chung was located on the side of the mountain and walked down on his own. Deputies called it a "miracle" that Chung was mostly unharmed after suffering some weather-related injuries and a leg injury.

Since 2020, rescue operations undertaken more than 100 searches for missing hikers on Mount Baldy, with six confirmed deaths, according to the San Bernardino county sheriff's department.

Mount Baldy's proximity to Los Angeles and natural beauty have long attracted both visitors and locals in a region known for its outdoorsy culture. Social media is beckoning even more people, says Gil Estrada, chairman of the Sierra Club's San Antonio ski hut on the side of Baldy, who has managed the hut for 23 years and worked on ski patrol on the mountain for 34 years. The ski hut houses skiers and also provides aid to people who are in distress, and Estrada says he regularly sees people who are out of their depth.

"I've seen broken legs, broken arms, people who have been hit by the ice, people who slide and hit trees and rocks and their faces are concave and blood spurting out," Estrada says. "It gets old after a while; I'm kind of tired of it."

He adds that the pandemic only added to the popularity of hiking - and that means more inexperienced people on the steep mountain slopes. He sees a lot of people making poor decisions: going out alone, choosing poor routes, going out on bad weather days, unable to use equipment. "You can spot them from a distance, because they don't even know how to carry their equipment, much less use it." From his hut, he can see hikers heading out with ice axes dangling precariously, ready to impale them.

One of the biggest dangers on a mountain of Mount Baldy's size is the way winter conditions change the experience. January typically brings freezing rain and ice, making it the most dangerous time to climb the peak - a hike that might be simpler in the summer morphs into a winter mountaineering adventure, which requires special tools like ice axes and crampons.

Baldy's most popular loop, the Baldy Bowl trail - which both Gonzalez and Sands were trekking - takes hikers through a steep climb of 4,000ft of elevation gain and 11.4 miles. It's tougher and longer than most hikes in the area, and come January snow, ice, steep slopes and fierce winds combine to create treacherous conditions like those faced by Gonzalez and Sands.

"There's a death almost every January - sometimes more than one," Estrada says, adding that he sees ice chunks the size of bowling balls falling from trees in the winter that could take people out in a heartbeat.

This year was especially dangerous because a series of historic "atmospheric river" storms brought more ice and snow than usual to the mountain. "The recent storms that brought the snow and ice conditions are not favorable for hikers, even those that feel they have a high level of experience," the San Bernardino sheriff's department said in a press release in January, describing Mount Baldy as "adverse and extremely dangerous".

The rise of SOS devices - satellite-synched gadgets that send a signal to rescue agencies when activated - give people bravado, Estrada says. "A lot of people carry these SOS devices and they think they can get into any trouble and they can get help," he says, adding that he has seen more requests for assistance recently.

Winter mountaineering requires special skills. Baldy's temperatures can be more than 30 degrees cooler than sea level - and the trail may be obscured by snow. "When you're hiking, there's a trail you can visibly see and follow and signage," says Estrada. But in the winter, there's no trail at all - just snow everywhere, and you have to choose your own path. "So you want to know about route-finding, how to look for rock fall, slicks to avoid, terrain traps, all kinds of stuff that doesn't come into play in the summer."

Wesley Trimble, communications director at the American Hiking Society, advises hikers to check local conditions routinely before they head out to the trailhead. "Mountains create their own weather patterns, so it's important to check the weather has been - to know the snow level - and what it will be going forward."

Trimble adds that many people rely on cellphone apps to navigate - but cellphone batteries don't last as long in cold temperatures, adding that he always carries a paper map and compass as backup.

Many of the hikers who have got into trouble have slid or tumbled on icy slopes - that's why proper footwear and traction aids are important. To go mountaineering in the winter, people need crampons, ice axes, mountaineering boots and a helmet.

The best advice, Estrada says, is to take a mountaineering class before attempting the mountain in winter. Or go with an experienced person who can demonstrate proper use of the equipment needed, he says. "Never go alone, always take a partner. Never leave your partner. Stay together. Have the proper footwear and make good choices.

"You want to climb Baldy? Fine, take the safe route, not the foolish route."