Ren's Did You Know ? - The History of Mount Baldy

 

Mount Baldy, or Old Baldy, rises to 10,688 ft. and is the highest peak in Los Angeles County. Mount Baldy, which also is known by its formal name Mount San Antonio, is part of the San Gabriel Mountains and located in the San Bernardino National Forest. It once was home to the Tongva Indian tribe and was the site of scientific experiments. It's now a popular hiking area and ski resort

The Tongvas

• The Tongva tribe population numbered about 5,000 in the early 19th century and had been indigenous in Southern California for about 7,000 years. Tribal communities stretched from Malibu to Laguna Beach to Mount Baldy. In the late 1700s the tribe was forced to provide labor to build the San Gabriel and San Fernando missions. Tribes living near Mount Baldy called the mountain "Yoát," or snow, according to the Gabrielino-Tongva Tribe's website.

Light Experiment

 

• From 1922 to 1927, American physicist and Nobel Prize winner Albert Michelson conducted experiments to measure the speed of light by bouncing light beams from Mount Wilson about 22 miles away to a reflector on Mount Baldy's south side. According to the Nobel Foundation's website, Michelson was able to measure with accuracy the length of light waves and that light travels at a constant speed. 

Schoolhouse

 

• The Mount Baldy Schoolhouse was established in 1921 and initially accommodated 88 students. It now serves as the community's visitor's center with historic displays. It served as the community center for the fledgling community in the 1920s and 1930s. The schoolhouse's classroom, greenhouse and potting shed are used for educational demonstrations, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Ice House Canyon Resort

 

• The Ice House Canyon Lodge and Resort was a popular getaway for vacationers and celebrities in the 1920s. The lodge was expanded between 1924 and 1927. The resort was a favorite location for more than 50 years for film studios to make movies. The lodge burned down in the 1980s, according to Mount San Antonio College professor Martin S. Mason on his website.

Community

 

• By the early 1920s, Mount Baldy was a thriving village of a few hundred people. It had its own church, fire department. It gained a reputation as a reclusive self-contained community and then a popular seasonal ski resort that remains today, according to the U.S. Forest Service. In 2009, the 36-square-mile village boasts a population of about 2,000.

Early Skiing

 

• Mount Baldy became the venue for the origins of the California snow sport of skiing. Austrian Dr. Walter Mosauer offered skiing lessons to students on the mountain in 1931 and developed California's first ski hut in 1937 at 8,200 feet. The hut served as a station for skiers making descents, according to the Sierra Club.

Zen Center

 

• In 1971, a Boy Scout camp was acquired by Kyozan Joshu Sasaki, who founded the Rinzai Zen monastery retreat. The center gained fame in 1994 when musician Leonard Cohen joined. It serves as the primary training venue and residence for an estimated 75 to 100 full-time monks and nuns, according to the Mount Baldy Zen Center.