by Peter Weinberger

September’s Bridge Fire consumed some 56,030 acres, an enormous amount of land. Moving from the west, the blaze came dangerously close to the center of Mt. Baldy Village, burning 20 homes. Firefighters set a perimeter along Mt. Baldy Road that the fire never jumped.

A similar situation arose at the Mt. Baldy Ski Lifts higher up to the east, when in July the smaller Vista Fire came in from the east, burning right up to the Top of the Notch property line at 7,800 feet. Luckily it spared the ski lifts, restaurant, and mountains to the west, including the highest peak, Mt. Baldy, at 10,062 feet. All told it burned 2,936 acres.

The Baldy community certainly took a hit from the two fires, but was spared more catastrophic damage.

In an effort to ensure a “natural recovery” to the plants and soil, the U.S. Forest Service has closed all trails leading up Mt. Baldy until December 31, 2025. This also includes Glendora Ridge Road, which can be accessed from Mt. Baldy Village.

While the necessity to close the area is needed to ensure the land heals, the Forest Service has closed all trails in the burned areas. With a trail system that is robust and complex, this order has impacted numerous trails that were not touched by fire.

What makes this decision even more odd, the ski lifts leading to and including the Top of the Notch restaurant and bar have a variance to remain open. That includes allowing skiing when and if there’s enough snow.

By permitting the public to use the ski lifts, access the restaurant and go skiing, but forbidding anyone to hike up to an untouched Mt. Baldy (and neighboring mountains), it seems like the Forest Service just hasn’t thought this through. We need a more pragmatic approach to protect the burned soil and enforce the closures while minimizing damage to local businesses and the livelihood of Mt. Baldy residents.

Even with a $5,000 fine for hiking in protected areas, how will the Forest Service police all these untouched trails over the next year? It’s a huge job keeping the public off of 56,030 acres, let alone adding part of another mountain range into the mix.

Has the Forest Service played it too safe by using a broad solution that’s counterproductive, almost daring people to ignore it? Fingers crossed that’s not the case.

Residents in the area

However these protected lands are managed, a key issue is what kind of impact these decisions have on Mt. Baldy residents. Closing hiking trails for a year near Mt. Baldy will severely limit the number of people who visit the area.

For Robby Ellington, the general manager of the Mt. Baldy Resort, business is impacted because hiking Mt. Baldy is the big draw to the area. Although opening ski slopes will help, Mt. Baldy’s winter season is generally shorter than other areas such as those in Big Bear. Spring and summer bring the bulk of customers to Mt. Baldy. The resort is one of the area’s largest employers, and there are other businesses impacted. Less business means fewer jobs, jobs that local residents count on.

There’s no question the burned area near Mt. Baldy Village needs protection. The fire literally burned right up to Mt. Baldy Road. The landscape along Glendora Ridge Road and east of the Top of the Notch, show deeply burned soils. But how much protection is too much? Is it easier to focus, monitor and protect hand-picked trails around Mt. Baldy, instead of shutting the entire place down?

U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Dana Dierkes said the agency will “reassess the status of potential hazards and see if certain areas might be able to reopen.” I think that’s an excellent plan. Let’s hope this reassessment happens soon.