Finally put together a trip report for my March 24 venture into Stockton Flats, loosely part of the proposed expansion area for the Mount Baldy Ski Resort in the San Gabriel Mountains.

This trip is notable for the extreme surface instability I encountered, due to very warm weather. For that reason (I probably should have turned back) and because this area is so easily accessed, I did hesitate to post the report.

Stockton Flats is very different from the benign glade it appears to be on the trail map. I strongly discourage anyone from entering the region unless they’ve studied a topo map, are prepared to travel through heavily cliffed terrain, and are properly equipped to get out.

We all have to make our own choices when it comes to the backcountry terrain we ski. But Stockton Flats is both unusually inviting and unusually deceptive. If you want high adventure without the possibility of getting very, very lost, go ski Telegraph Peak instead.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 5th, 2006 at 12:12 pm and is filed under Skiing. So There.