Mt. Baldy trails closed through Jan. 7 after three hikers found dead

Following the deaths of three hikers on Mt. Baldy, the U.S. Forest Service is working with local authorities to close seven trails on the mountain and in the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument from Jan. 1 to Jan. 7, amidst what authorities are calling “extreme environmental hazards” — windy and icy conditions — posing risks to hikers and other visitors.

The closed trails are:

• Forest System Trail No. 7W12 – Mt. Baldy Trail
• Forest System Trail No. 7W02 – Mt. Baldy Bowl Trail
• Forest System Trail No. 7W05 – Devil’s Backbone Trail
• Forest System Trail No. 7W06 – Three T’s Trail
• Forest System Trail No. 7W07 – Icehouse Canyon Trail
• Forest System Trail No. 7W07A – Chapman Trail
• Forest System Trail No. 7W08 – Ontario Peak Trail

Affected recreation areas are:

• San Gabriel Mountains National Monument
• Mt. Baldy Trail
• Mt. Baldy Day Use Area
• Lower San Antonio Day-Use Area
• Icehouse Canyon Saddle via Icehouse Canyon
• Manker Flat Campground

“Our primary responsibility is the preservation of life,” San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said in a statement Wednesday. “Closing these trails is a necessary step to mitigate ongoing risks. We urge the community to respect these boundaries.”

The mountain had previously been closed through Dec. 31.

The latest closure is a result of inclement weather, including rain and low temperatures, according to a sheriff’s department spokesperson. These factors, alongside ice and wind, could affect rescue efforts, the spokesperson said.

Violators of the closure face fines and prison time.

“This proactive measure follows the recent, tragic discovery of three deceased individuals in the area,” the Sheriff’s Department posted on social media.

One of the deceased hikers was identified by coroner’s investigators as 19-year-old Seal Beach man Marcus Alexander Muench Casanova. Casanova was a freshman at Santa Clara University, visiting home for the holidays, according to a statement from his family.

The other two hikers had not been publicly identified as of Wednesday evening.