Cucamonga Peak @ everytrail.com
i was going to hike to mt San jacinto but i got up and going too late to do it.
In my 30 years of hiking in the San Gabriels I've never gone to Cucamonga Peak
I left the nearly deserted Ice House Cyn trailhead @ 7:03 am making it to Ice House Cyn Saddle @ 8:45am, a bit of a break and off to Cucamonga Peak!
This route is less used than ICT but that is relative to be sure, I can only guess why but it is perhaps the very narrow spots along here to the saddle at Cucamonga Cyn / Middle Fork Notch.
The weather was Ideal for this and is very strange given it is early August, light winds, temps in the mid to upper 60's , a glance at the altimeter indicates 1200ft climb to the summit from the Notch...Piece-O-Cake!
The trail above the notch is less precipitous and in good shape, though many, many hikers cut the switchbacks...Grrrrr
It took a bit longer to get to the summit than I'd calculated but...It aint a race. The high point is indistinct, no USGS or County Surveyors monument I could find, I signed the HPS peak register had an early lunch and had a short nap.
Made decent time back to the trailhead arriving at 1:38pm about 2hrs and 15min
I won't be wating another 30 years to vist Cucamonga Peak again!
Cucamonga Peak Sunday 8/8/2010
We like Cucamonga Peak and have hiked it every year since 2000.
There were no switchback cuts 10 years ago. It's only the past few years that the problem has happened. You would think that a hiking club would teach its members basic trail manners: no littering, uphill has the right of way, no switchback cutting.many, many hikers cut the switchbacks...Grrrrr
Yeah is seems to be a real gem!, I'd really like to hike up from Joe Eliot Tree Memorial but it doesn't look like the road will ever reopen.RichardK wrote:We like Cucamonga Peak and have hiked it every year since 2000.
I'd like to do a hike from ICTH to Lytel Creek Rd someday.
You'd think! There is little to none education of trail users these day. If you gently point out some behavior is not acceptable your some kind of AR AHOLERichardK wrote:There were no switchback cuts 10 years ago. It's only the past few years that the problem has happened. You would think that a hiking club would teach its members basic trail manners: no littering, uphill has the right of way, no switchback cutting.
It isn't just hiking clubs either. The problem extends into the Boy Scouts and other traditional hiking groups who know better.
No excuse
Cutting swicthbacks causes erosion. They are ugly and take very scarce volunteer time, and effort to repair that would be better used doing other things that desperately need to be done.
It is also disheartening to volunteers to constantly repair these sorts of things, people regularly throw up their hands and give up.
Matt, I think the road (1N34) up to Joe Elliot Tree Memorial opens on Labor Day from the Lytle Creek end and closes whenever winter feels like closing it (1st major storm?). I'm interested in getting to Etiwanda from that side or even from Middle Fork Lytle Creek - hoping to get up that road sometime this fall.mattmaxon wrote:Yeah is seems to be a real gem!, I'd really like to hike up from Joe Eliot Tree Memorial but it doesn't look like the road will ever reopen.
I'd like to do a hike from ICTH to Lytel Creek Rd someday.
Matt, that's a really nice hike, going from ICTH to the Middle Fork of Lytle Creek Trailhead.mattmaxon wrote:I'd like to do a hike from ICTH to Lytel Creek Rd someday.
You could do the "through hike" in a day although you'd need a ride on the other end of course. Staying overnight in Comanche Camp is another nice option, and not an overused area at all. It's very nice there.
I want to get back to the falls area in there near Third Crossing. Neat area.
HJ
That is another on a very long list of hikes I wanna do...
But
I meant to hike IHCT to Lytel Creek Rd via San Savaine Rd (1N34)
I think a possible IHCT / MFLC jaunt maybe in the offing next month
as will Joe Elliot to Cucamonga Peak stroll...
Where is Etawanda Peak?
M
Starting at IceHouse and going out over San Sevaine would be quite a hike. Dropping down the Middle Fork of Lytle Creek (Lytle I believe, not Lytel, yes?) would be quite a bit easier I would think. Of course easier isn't always what we want. 
Seriously, though, the Middle Fork is a pretty area. In some respects, I think it's as nice as Icehouse canyon but with only 10% of the traffic. Commanche is one of my favorite trail camps in the San Gabs. It does get use, but it's nothing like Little Jimmy or Cooper Canyon or one of the camps along the Gabrieleno NRT or anything like that. It's well watered and pretty. And the falls are well worth checking out.
By the way, Matt, really nice photos.
HJ
Seriously, though, the Middle Fork is a pretty area. In some respects, I think it's as nice as Icehouse canyon but with only 10% of the traffic. Commanche is one of my favorite trail camps in the San Gabs. It does get use, but it's nothing like Little Jimmy or Cooper Canyon or one of the camps along the Gabrieleno NRT or anything like that. It's well watered and pretty. And the falls are well worth checking out.
By the way, Matt, really nice photos.
HJ
D'OH! Lytle it is but I'm a world class misspellerHikin_Jim wrote:Starting at IceHouse and going out over San Sevaine would be quite a hike. Dropping down the Middle Fork of Lytle Creek (Lytle I believe, not Lytel, yes?) would be quite a bit easier I would think. Of course easier isn't always what we want.
Yeah it is "quite a hike" a little stroll in the mountains
I've been up close and personal with the falls... Several times and yes they are nice, I've yet to do them in the winter. Tons of ice or so I'm told.Hikin_Jim wrote:Seriously, though, the Middle Fork is a pretty area. In some respects, I think it's as nice as Icehouse canyon but with only 10% of the traffic. Commanche is one of my favorite trail camps in the San Gabs. It does get use, but it's nothing like Little Jimmy or Cooper Canyon or one of the camps along the Gabrieleno NRT or anything like that. It's well watered and pretty. And the falls are well worth checking out.
ThanksHikin_Jim wrote:By the way, Matt, really nice photos.
M