Hike Log

ECBO(S)’SES

Trailhead:

Icehouse Canyon

Type of Hike:

Day hike

Trail Conditions:

Trail in good condition

ROAD:

Road suitable for all vehicles

Bugs:

Bugs were not too bad

Snow:

Snow free

Within the SoCal hiking community, there is a certain challenge referred to as “ECBO(S)”, which includes Etiwanda, Cucamonga, Bighorn, Ontario and Sugarloaf Peaks. There is not a definitive trail used to complete this challenge, so a little bit of off-trailing is required. The loop itself is over 16 miles (RT) and 6500 feet of elevation gain. This is most certainly not for the feint of heart. We (@kelpie007 and @thejeremyclark) began our trek at the Icehouse Canyon Trailhead near Baldy Village at around 5:30am. We hiked both Cucamonga and Etiwanda with relative ease. Then came our first of several unofficial trails as we summited Bighorn from the Cucamonga side. This is where the three of us broke for lunch. Not just a snack, but an actual packed lunch (which was definitely needed). From there, we continued on to Ontario. Ontario is the most unique of the five peaks in terms of layout. As the 12-hour mark rolled around, we descended Ontario and headed for Sugarloaf. This is where things got tricky. We made our way down to the Sugarloaf saddle by dusk, which meant that we had extremely limited natural light with which to see. We reached the Sugarloaf summit at near-nightfall, where we planned out our night-hike descent. Unfortunately, the quickest way to descend Sugarloaf is to take Falling Rock Canyon down to the river. This requires hiking across miles of loose gravel and rock, creating mini-avalanches with every step. You will slip. You will slide. You will fall — hiking boot traction be damned. Keep in mind that it is pitch black out. From Falling Rock, we crossed over to the ravine and rock scrambled down to the river from there. Thankfully, the trailhead was less than a mile from the river. I don’t recommend this challenge, let alone “trail” to anyone who doesn’t have the proper equipment and experience to trek this grueling path.

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