Sugarloaf and Ontario via Falling Rock Canyon 7/20/2013

mcphersonm80 · Post by **mcphersonm80** » Sun Jul 21, 2013 11:33 am

Finally got up and explored Falling Rock Canyon yesterday. Some really fun Class 3 scrambly stuff, and overall not nearly as difficult as I thought it'd be. Pretty steep once you exit the canyon and head up to Ontario, but definitely preferable to hiking up Icehouse Blvd on a Saturday morning.

Nice surprise rainstorm on the way down from Ontario, too.

Sugarloaf in the Morning

Entrance to Falling Rock Canyon

Enjoyable Boulder Hopping

Scree Slope to Exit the Canyon

High Country Hiking

Nice Cool Hike Down

Panorama from Sugarloaf (click for absurdly large version)

Plenty more pictures here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wattifoto/ ... 737185558/

Post by **tekewin** » Sun Jul 21, 2013 2:20 pm

Nice shots in Falling Rock Canyon. That does look like fun.

Post by **Taco** » Sun Jul 21, 2013 9:35 pm

Really dig the 2nd to last pic dude. Rad.

Post by **Uncle Rico** » Mon Jul 22, 2013 6:46 am

McP, did you follow the canyon all the way or did you jump out early and then follow one of the adjacent ridgeline the rest of the way up? I'm guessing the former from your 4th pic.

mcphersonm80 · Post by **mcphersonm80** » Mon Jul 22, 2013 12:30 pm

Uncle Rico wrote: ↑McP, did you follow the canyon all the way or did you jump out early and then follow one of the adjacent ridgeline the rest of the way up? I'm guessing the former from your 4th pic.

Yeah, we left the canyon to scramble up to the saddle between Sugarloaf and Ontario, then took the ridge the rest of the way straight up to Ontario. Next time up, I want to skip Sugarloaf and stick with the canyon the whole way.

Post by **Sean** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 1:09 pm

Great pictures. I still haven't done Sugarloaf. But maybe now I'm sufficiently motivated to get my butt up there.

Thanks.

Post by **Taco** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 1:57 pm

Sugarloaf is a cool little peak. Worth a hike.

MattCav · Post by **MattCav** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 10:54 pm

awesome pics mcp. this looks fun. the trailhead for this is icehouse, but you turn right early on down that trail, right? how long of a hike up the canyon is it to ontario peak?

mcphersonm80 · Post by **mcphersonm80** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 11:05 am

MattCav wrote: ↑awesome pics mcp. this looks fun. the trailhead for this is icehouse, but you turn right early on down that trail, right? how long of a hike up the canyon is it to ontario peak?

Yeah, the entrance to the canyon is probably about 1/2 a mile up the Icehouse Canyon Trail. Keep an eye on the right (south) side of the creek, it's the first canyon that you'll see. Another way to find it is when the Icehouse Trail forks, the left option being the main trail cutting sharply left up to the first real switchback and the right branch goes down to the stream. Take the right path, cross the creek, and follow it upstream. You'll be at the start of Falling Rock Canyon (extremely obvious, impossible to miss from the south side of the creek) in two or three minutes.

The whole trip, including Sugarloaf, was 4.5 miles to the top of Ontario. You'd cut off probably 3/4 of a mile or so if you skip Sugarloaf and go straight up to Ontario. But like Taco said, Sugarloaf really is a pretty cool peak with awesome views, definitely worth the effort.

Basically, Falling Rock Canyon is to the Icehouse Canyon Trail what the Mountaineers Route is to the Mount Whitney Trail.