In June, Stacy and I bagged Cucamonga Peak. The trail through the Icehouse Canyon is beautiful but the rocks hammered our hips and knees on the descent. Due to the fires, we scheduled two alternative hikes – Mount Baden-Powell and Ontario Peak. We were not looking forward to descending after Ontario. Grumble. Grumble. Grumble. Landing on the Icehouse Saddle, however, was a huge incentive.

The climb to the Icehouse Saddle is a beast but the payoff is so worth it — a soothing breeze and a wide flat shaded space to take a snack break at.

The trail to Ontario Peak is easy to find from here. The hike through Kelly Camp was serene — shaded and quiet. After emerging from the trees, the trail traverses along a ridge line that runs past several peaks. False, teasing peaks! That made this hike mentally challenging. My 8-year-old-self came out in full force – whining periodically and calling out “Are we there yet?!” We finally did make it and found a nice group of fellow hikers having lunch under the landmark tree. We threw our packs off, snacked, took photos, and awed at the beautiful day. Along this portion of the trail, we had a fantastic view of Mt. Baldy and I could see the green roof of the Ski Hut. We did not bag Bighorn unfortunately. We were running out of time, so we plan to do it in the future as a practice hike. #sixpackofpeaks. #sixpackofpeaks2018 #52challenge #hike32 #hike32outof52 #fiercehikers
8,696 ft peak; Elevation gain: 3,738 ft; Miles: 12+ miles up-and-back trail; Approx. 10 hours