If you have a fear of heights, this section will make you squirm. Harwood create some steep exposure falling away from the trail on your left. After reaching the top of this first steep climb you are faced with another steep climb with an added twist. You don't want to wear yourself out so early in the climb. Take your time because there is still much ahead of you. After a short downhill you have to make a short steep ascent. Once you reach the other side of the knoll the trail begins to look a little more ominous. From here the trail rises gently around a small knoll. The top of chair 4 officially marks the beginning of the Devil's Backbone Trail. All three routes ultimately converge at the top of chair 4. The left most route stays to the left of chair 4, but you can join in on the winding dirt road for a little easier hike at one point. This is the most direct route up, and also the steepest. The middle route heads up along the ridgeline beneath chair 4. This route will turn sharply to the left and snake its way up toward the top of chair 4. If you go straight (northeast) on the dirt road you'll be taking the longest route, but the least steep route. Compared to the Baldy Bowl Trail with a vertical gain of nearly 4,000 feet, it isn't difficult to conclude that the Devil's Backbone is indeed the easiest route to the summit.įrom the top of the chairlift there are three routes to choose from. This shaves 1,300 vertical feet off of the climb making for a manageable, albeit strenuous 2,300 vertical foot climb to the summit. Baldy Ski Area parking lot to the ski lodge. This assumes that you ride the ski chairlift from the Mt. Why? Simply because it is the shortest route. The Devil's Backbone Trail is the easiest route to the top of Mt.

Devils backbone trail map