Cucamonga Peak, 8,859', 15 miles RT, 4,646' +/-, January 7, 2018

January 09, 2018

Today was our second time up Cucamonga Peak. The first time was on Thanksgiving day of last year and I was tired and sore for 2 days afterwards. It was tough on my body and I wasn’t even sure if I’d want to do it today, but we decided to hike to Icehouse Saddle and then decide where to go from there since there are other peaks that branch off from that junction. Once we arrived at the saddle, it was confirmed we were going to climb Cucamonga again.

We skirted around the mountain through the rugged, narrow section of trail that leads from Icehouse Saddle to the saddle between Big Horn and Cucamonga. Easy enough. Then onto the rocky, relentless switchbacks. The nice part about this section is that you have amazing views down into the canyon and there is nothing but wilderness. It’s incredibly beautiful and it is completely silent, especially on a day like today when we had no winds. I’ve only ever experienced that type of silence in the desert. Up we went until we finally arrived at the marker leading to the peak. It was actually a lot better this time then the last. At no point did I feel like quitting. It was a challenging hike, but well worth the effort. We spent some time at the summit hanging out with the chipmunks who were bumming our pizza, and chatting with other hikers. After about a 45 minute break, we began our descent. One thing to remember when hiking any trails that lead back through Icehouse Canyon are the rocks. There will be plenty of them to negotiate on the way down and your knees and ankles will be feeling it. On the plus side, the scenery is some of the most beautiful in the area, so you’ll have something to keep your mind off your tired legs.

Cucamonga Peak, 8,859', 12 miles RT, (4,252' +/-), November 23, 2017

November 24, 2017

Hit the trail early Thanksgiving morning to hike Cucamonga Peak. We started up Icehouse Canyon at 5:30 am. This was our third time up this trail to Icehouse Saddle which is a gateway to other trails including Cucamonga Peak. It used to be a challenge, but it’s getting easier every time. We entered the Cucamonga Wilderness just before the sun came up, and by 8 am we were at Icehouse Saddle. We stopped for a snack, and it wasn’t long before other hikers arrived. One of them was heading to the same destination as we were. He was using the trail to train for other peaks. After the break, we hopped on the next segment to Cucamonga Peak. This is where the real hike began. From here on out we were on much more rugged terrain with narrow sections, steep cliffs and rock scrambles. It was one of those hikes where you really had to watch your footing. Next came the switchbacks. Some sections were all scree and talus. It was a hard climb and my fear of heights being on a narrow ledge with loose rock and steep drops was starting to kick in. I had to stop and take breaks to keep my zen. I could see the peak, but it seemed a million miles away. Up and up we went moving slowly, but making progress with each careful step. We were less then half a mile away from the peak when we saw the young hiker we’d met at Icehouse Saddle coming down. “Almost there.” he said. “Take short steps and use your poles.” After a few more switchbacks I spotted the marker for the spur trail leading up to the peak just ahead. What a relief! We made our final ascent up a steep but well buffed out section of trail. Finally I saw the wooden sign, “Cucamonga Peak 8,859’”. Whew! That was rough! The views from the peak were vast and sprawling overlooking the city and all the way out to the San Jacinto and Santa Ana mountain ranges. We took a long break to rest our tired legs and celebrate Thanksgiving morning with yesterday’s leftover pizza! On the way down my overactive mind calmed down. Although I still had to be careful with my footing, I was in a much better headspace. The hard part was over. I was able to soak in the incredible views of the remote wilderness and enjoy the trek down this beautiful mountain. The switchbacks seemed to go a lot faster on the way down, but we still had to negotiate our way through rugged trail back to Icehouse Saddle. Once at the saddle, we still had about 3 miles to go to get back to the trailhead. Luckily, the canyon is so pretty, it makes those last miles go quick. We finished the hike (including our breaks and all my picture taking) in about 8 hours and 50 minutes. We’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving day on Friday knowing we earned those extra slices of pumpkin pie!

Icehouse Canyon, Cucamonga Wilderness, Icehouse Saddle, Timber Mountain, 8,303' (3,325 +/-), 9.03 miles RT, August 27, 2017

August 28, 2017

Our destination today was to hike Icehouse Canyon through the Cucamonga Wilderness to Icehouse Saddle and then summit Timber Mountain via the Three Tee’s Trail. Icehouse Canyon has quite a bit of history. In the 1800s, there was an icehouse here that serviced Los Angeles. The ice was brought down from the mountains by mules and sold door to door. There was also a resort here that was built in 1880. You can find more info. on all of this by searching it on Google. It’s very interesting and really makes you appreciate the area in which you are hiking.

Icehouse Canyon is a popular destination among Angelenos, so in order to beat the crowds, I was out of bed by 3:30 am, on the road and at the Old Baldy Ranger Station to collect our wilderness permits just after 5:30 am. We arrived at the trailhead in the dark, but soon dawn broke and the sun rose to turn pitch black skies to moody blue. As we began our ascent on the rocky terrain of the trail, we could hear the running creek off to our right. It followed us through the canyon until we we reached the beautiful Cucamonga Wilderness where the trail opened up to towering trees.

Much of this trail is walking on rock and uneven terrain, so you have to pay attention here. Then once you hit the switchbacks, get ready to party even harder! It’s a slow burn all the way to the saddle but I guarantee the scenery will make you forget about your fatigued leg muscles.

The saddle is a junction for a number of different hikes. Knowing the weather was going to heat up, we had already planned to summit Timber Mountain and be back down before it got too hot.

We took a short snack break at the saddle and then headed straight up the Three Tee’s Trail to summit Timber Mountain. It was a short one mile climb, but that was no easy trek. Once at the peak were were rewarded with the most beautiful mountain top covered in a forest of trees and huge, fallen pinecones. I now understand why it’s called Timber. We had a little lunch (sandwiches taste so good at over 8,000’), and took in the scenery until it was time to head back.

With the cardio work out of the way, I could now enjoy myself by taking photos of… EVERYTHING. Every which way I turned, it was a picture perfect landscape. Coming back was definitely another challenge. All those rocks we climbed up on had to be negotiated carefully on the way back down. I could feel my quads working hard. It was definitely something you had to pay attention to. When we arrived back in the canyon, the sunlight peaked through the shady canopy of trees to create magical hues of green and gold. Coupled with the sound of rushing water, I had to keep stopping and standing there saying, “Wow. Oh Wow! This is so pretty!”

We passed quite a few people on the way back down, but not nearly as many as I had originally anticipated. I guess not everyone likes getting up at 3:00 in the morning to beat the heat. Personally, I would not have it any other way.