Mount San Antonia or commonly know as Mount Baldy is 10,068 ft/3,069 m is the highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains. A strenuous and steep hike with about 4,000 feet of elevation gain to the top. Beginning at Manker Flats, we hiked past San Antonio Falls, Sierra Club Ski Hut and Baldy Bowl. Spectatular views on top of the Mojave Desert to the north and San Gabriel Valley to the south. We can see Interstate Highway 15 snake throught Cajon Pass to the east. On this day there was a dust storm in the desert that created a brown haze below.

Seen on my hike to the summit was Lodgepole Pine, Jeffrey Pine, White Fire, Sugar Pine, Limber Pines, Douglas Fir and Spruce. Shrubs seen are Canyon Live Oak, Interior Live Oak, Manzanita, Chinquapin, Mountain Whitethorn, Buckwheat and Gooseberry. Animals observed include, Big Horn Sheep, Mule Deer, Western Gray Squirrels and Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels. Common birds were American Crows, Purple Finch, California Towhees, Spotted Towhees, Ravens, Stellar Jays, Common Poorwills, Hairy Woodpeckers, Acorn Woodpeckers, Downey Woodpeckers, Mountain Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Northern Rough-winged Swallows.