My friend Stacy and I started at 6:15 a.m. on the Icehouse Canyon Trail. The box of permits was easy to find. The canyon was well-shaded and the sound of the creek flowing next to the trail was serene. The trail quickly became quite rocky and pretty much stayed that way for most of the hike. Chipmunks chirped loudly as we passed. Lots of lizards scurried about. We also saw some squirrels and woodpeckers along the way. The climb to the Icehouse Saddle was a bit of a beast but the payoff was the breeze and a wide flat saddle where we found a lovely spot to sit and have our snack break.

The trail to Cucamonga Peak was easy to find from here. Some sections of this part of the trail were narrow and the drop off intense. It is also mostly exposed. The upper dessert comes into view as you climb.

We made it to another smaller saddle and continued forward/left. Lots of scree in this section and the steepness increases. We came across another trail that veered right. We decided to continue left. That was the correct choice. We finally made it to the post that has “Cucamonga Peak” handwritten on it. Again, there is a fork here – to the left or forward up a steep wash-like section. Take the steep wash-like section!

As we slowly approached the precipice, the vast openness of the valley floor rolled out before us. It was a pretty clear day and the view was breathtaking. There were black and yellow butterflies fluttering about. There were also some small dusty-blue butterflies hanging on the bushes. We took our time on the peak. It is a wide, somewhat flat that offers shade, a breeze, and quiet. We had it all to ourselves.

As a side note, we had 3 devices tracking our hike (2 watches, 1 phone) and they all had different distances. Anyone else experience that?
12+ miles; 9.5 hours.