Sunday morning, I bounced the jeep along the rutted road from Scotland to the Middle Fork trailhead parking lot. I was on the hoof in the 38F breeze at 0655. There were a few folks camped around Stone House and Commanche, though I saw nobody on the trail until arriving at Icehouse Saddle around 1011 PDT. I passed nine folks headed towards Cucamonga from Icehouse, and continued straight through to a vacant Etiwanda. The weather couldn't decide whether to be hot or cold, so I kept adjusting my layers accordingly. After some Shot Blocks and pictures, I left the 8,662 foot summit, and hiked back to its big brother, Cucamonga Peak. On Cucamonga, I rested a bit, and snacked on pretzels and dried fruit before saddling up for the nine-or-so mile trek back to the car. On the way down, I passed some dudes who had made camp at Stone House. A very short while later I heard a loud gunshot from the camp; WTF? When I arrived at the trailhead around 1648, I poured a liter of my remaining water in to my radiator, having remembered it boiling and hissing upon my arrival ten hours earlier. Just another spectacular day on the Angeles / San Bernardino National Forest.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/www.electricskates.com/Pix/Other20/IMG_0412.jpg)
Starting up the trail from the Middle Fork parking area.
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View a little further up the canyon.
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View of the ridge descending from Telegraph Peak.
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No comment.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/www.electricskates.com/Pix/Other20/IMG_0434.jpg)
Lots of water running to Lytle Creek.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/www.electricskates.com/Pix/Other20/IMG_0445.jpg)
Trail rises up the west wall.
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Scree-ish portion of the hike.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/www.electricskates.com/Pix/Other20/IMG_0460.jpg)
Bighorn, the 'Ts' and Baldy.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/www.electricskates.com/Pix/Other20/IMG_0472.jpg)
Looking down towards Joe Elliot and San Sevaine, from Etiwanda Peak.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/www.electricskates.com/Pix/Other20/IMG_0474.jpg)
Joe Elliot (Big Tree) campground at the picture's center.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/www.electricskates.com/Pix/Other20/IMG_0479.jpg)
Another view across to Old Baldy.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/www.electricskates.com/Pix/Other20/IMG_0488.jpg)
New sign on Cucamonga.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/www.electricskates.com/Pix/Other20/IMG_0491.jpg)
Another view on Cucamonga's summit.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/www.electricskates.com/Pix/Other20/IMG_0504.jpg)
Commanche Trail Camp.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/www.electricskates.com/Pix/Other20/IMG_0506.jpg)
Talus field portion of the trail.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/www.electricskates.com/Pix/Other20/IMG_0516.jpg)
Final view of Middle Fork, Lytle Creek as I near the trailhead.
![Image](https://eispiraten.com/images-archived/www.electricskates.com/Pix/Other20/GPS.JPG)
GPS plot.