Cucamonga Peak – Windy Winter Hike – Santa Ana Winds

The hike started at the Icehouse Trailhead parking lot around 7 am. Santa Ana winds were gusting and blew over a warning sign at the trailhead; a forewarning of what was to come. We started with a prayer and off we went.

The first mile of the hike was wonderful amidst cabins, trees, the creek, and rocks. There was a huge fallen tree on the trail we had to climb over. The second mile was mostly where the climb started, with switchbacks across rocky, dirt, and icy/snow paths. On the way up, most of the ice and snow on the trail was avoidable by walking closer to the edge. As we got to the top of the canyon to the Icehouse Saddle, we saw more snow patches. It was a little confusing to know which path was the correct way, but look out for wooden signs, they’ll point you in the right path. I read people typically took a break here, but with the winds, no one stayed very long.

So we continued along the Cucamonga Trail. The next mile was one of my favorite parts of the hike. The rolling trail section was a nice break from the uphill climb of the previous mile and a half. The view to the left of the trail overlooking the San Bernadino National Forest was gorgeous! We could see for miles!  Around the 4.5 mile mark we reached another saddle, from there you could look to the west to the Pomona area. From there we made a mistake and climbed/scrambled 100 feet up a trail towards Big Horn Peak. That climb was exciting but the descent back down a little treacherous, lots of loose dirt along the trail and the incline required some scrambling, would not recommend following our footsteps.

From there we continued up the final leg of the trail to the top. This part was the hardest, between the buffeting wind chil, the elevation gain, and snow, the switchbacks up was tough. On top of that, the water in my waterline froze! On the bright side, my bottle of water with electrolyte powder turned into a refreshing slushie! But finally the last 100 feet of elevation was in sight, crossing a few small snow fields on the trail, we powered forward to the top to enjoy a wonderful view and biting winds! We enjoyed sweeping view of Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, Pomona areas. As promised, we could see various peaks as well – Santiago Peak to the south, Palomar Mountains to the south east, and San Jacinto and San Gorgonio to the east! Unfortunately our stay up top was short. After a few quick pictures of us for proof and quick snacks, we had to get off the peak. Half of our phones shut off due to the cold while taking pictures and our hands were red and stinging from early frostnip.

We said good bye to the peak and bounded back down to escape the wind. The main danger now was slipping on ice which was much slicker from the sun. We had a few trips along the way, but besides a few bruises, we made it down quickly. All we could think of was Soup N’ Fresh for dinner, and with that as our motivation, our descent took half the time it took to ascend. Near the end of the trail and the final mile the familiar sight of cabins amidst the woods and the sound of rushing water from the creek was welcome.

Overall this hike was quite the challenge, but rewarding! Looking forward to the next peak!