Arrived at Icehouse Canyon trailhead at 5:40 AM, very few cars in the parking lot. I chalk this up to it being a weekday as well as how early it was, as I've been at this trailhead several times on Saturday mornings in the past and it's always insanely crowded, as is the trail. However, we didn't see a single other person until Icehouse Saddle, where we ran into a small group of campers who had spent the night there and were about to head back. I forgot that the climb to the saddle is the hardest part of this hike. Not the steepest, but the climb builds pretty relentlessly up to that point. Afterwards, there are still climbs but it feels like they are shorter and easier to mentally push through.

We didn't run into anyone else until reaching the summit around 9 AM, where we met two more campers who were just getting packed up for the day. Several minutes later one more hiker joined us at the peak as we ate an early lunch. After a thirty-minute rest and a couple photos, we turned around and headed back down. The trip back to the car found a lot more people on the trail making their way up to where we had just come from. We made it back around noon, where I was happy to find no ticket on my windshield as I realized halfway up the trail that I had forgotten to display my adventure pass! Phew! I'm sure on a busy Saturday the rangers keep a closer eye out for these things. Or maybe I was just very lucky.

All in all a great hike. Weather was perfect. Wind chill was a little nippy at Icehouse Saddle but not a problem as we didn't stay long. The peak had a calm, not-too-cold breeze that was soothing. Two thumbs up!