#8 Ontario Peak

I started at the Icehouse Canyon Trailhead around sunrise and made my way through the familiar canyon and switchbacks to Icehouse Saddle. There was a faint smell of smoke most of the morning from a distant wildfire, but it didn’t seem to slow me down. From the Saddle, the trail to Ontario Peak was gradual and mellow most of the way until the junction with the trail to Bighorn Peak (note: I returned this way a few days later, and the sign marking this junction was gone. I’m not sure if another one has been placed). There were quite a few bees on the Ontario Peak Trail, but they didn’t seem aggressive and were generally non-threatening. I reached the summit and shared it with two others. Then it got…weird. Another hiker arrived a few minutes after me and said she was glad to see other people at the summit because there was a naked man on the trail behind her. A few minutes later, one of the summit crowd tried to leave but headed back up when she saw the naked man too. I confronted him and told him to put some clothes on. Luckily he did, but I feel compelled to remind people: although these trails can be remote and isolated, please always be respectful of the fact that you are sharing them with other people. Anyway, the descent via the same route was much less surprising, and I’m glad everyone else on the summit was safe.