Middle Fork, Lytle Creek - Icehouse Saddle

Elwood · Post by **Elwood** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 4:54 pm

Although I had originally planned to hike up Iron Mountain yesterday, I acceded to my wife's wishes and undertook something less ambitious. 2N58 was really bouncy in spots, even in my jeep. Ascending, I had the entire trail to myself. Upon returning I passed a foreign couple (German, perhaps) and several pair of lightly-equipped day hikers. Weather couldn't have been much nicer; occasionally clear and sunny otherwise windy and overcast. Crampons were a necessity (at least for me) on the half-mile or so of trail below the saddle. I found it easier to leave them on for the interspersed sections of clear dry trail within this section. I suspect I'll be resharpening them soon. With any luck, conditions here will be snow, snow, and more snow by week's end.

I looked up to this ridge just after dawn and saw...

This ovis canadensis nelsoni.

Looking up the middle fork towards the T's.

Remaining snow echos conditions on other ~8,000 footers in the range.

Morning view east, down the fork towards the Bernardinos, et al.

Interesting trail reinforcement in scree. Those logs are held in place with small (3/8" to 1/2" diameter) lengths of re-bar.

Beginning of the snowy part of this hike, ~ 6,926 ft.

Conditions on Icehouse Saddle, ~ 1100 PST.

Middle Fork Trail below the saddle. Definitely hard enough for crampons and axe.

More of the trail below Icehouse Saddle.

Looking up towards IHS at the switchbacks under hard snow.

Middle Fork Trail area, not too far from Stonehouse Crossing.

Gratuitous photoshop treatment of a view up the drainage below the 7,405' bump.

Afternoon view down the middle fork of Lytle Creek.

GPS track and elevation plot.

lilbitmo · Post by **lilbitmo** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 5:29 pm

Nice report Elwood, one these days I have to do the saddle from that side. Any chance you can send me directions to that trailhead, I've never gone up that way so I do not know which roads to take to get back there? Thanks in advance.

Great photo's as well.

Will post a TR on bagging East and West Dobbs, from yesterday.

Bill · Post by **Bill** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 6:37 pm

I love that trail! Nice TR as usual. 8)

Post by **Taco** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:14 pm

How's that rock near the trail? Anyone got pics of the various crags?

Elwood · Post by **Elwood** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 7:43 am

Hey Taco!

The crags on the south (Cucamonga) side of the trail are intriguing. They look kinda' chossy. I've got to find my pictures from an earlier trip that show this rock off better.

RichardK · Post by **RichardK** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 9:27 am

Nice report Elwood. Thanks for posting.

I think it was Hikin Jim who reported that this trail had a section wiped out in a land slide. Did you notice anything like that? Has that section been repaired or was it buried under snow?