The trail is a bit washed out and easy to lose after passing the Cucamonga Wilderness sign, right where it crosses the first two washes. After the 2-mile post things are as expected and I only saw small patches of snow on the shady ground. Nearing Columbine Spring I heard a helicopter circling around below so I stopped to find it, and finally saw the familiar white and red rescue vehicle down in the lower canyon. It had a basket swinging below which looked like some kind of container rather than a body so I figured they must be dropping off supplies for the Edison crew.
I took a food break at the saddle, where due to the late hour I decided against Cucamonga Peak and instead walked up to Timber Mountain. Since this slope faces south I knew that snow would not be present, and once again only a couple of trees harbored any below. This mountain doesn't seem to get the attention of others around, maybe because it's not part of that six-pack business or maybe that it's just one of the Three-T's trail. It's actually a great hike up, with views over to Baldy and down Icehouse and across to Cucamonga, Bighorn and Ontario. I walked around the summit area and saw a sign attached to a tree recognizing some military group which I thought was odd, since it faced opposite of the summit and is attached to the side of a long-downed tree. Evidently they are not believers in LNT. While I was sitting there having another snack, a man walked up and we chatted for a while about hiking Mt Whitney and other places, he was just beginning to train to hike Mt Fuji later this summer.
My hike down was uneventful, I stopped to fill a couple of bottles with nice spring water just below the saddle and had to replenish my Camelbak just below the Chapman Trail junction. I also saw a couple of generators and figured that was what the helicopter was carrying, thinking the use of the rescue chopper was probably to get them more hours flying in the local mountains.
I haven't been here in a while, new building in the parking lot. No one was inside and the map holder was empty.
Hot part of the trail, just past the two-mile marker.
Typical of the snow fields I saw during the day.
View from the Timber summit.
Marker attached to the deadfall on the summit.
Photo opp at the summit marker.
Looking across at Baldy.
One of two generators down near the cabins. I thought using power tools was not allowed in the National Forest.
Lots of water flowing in the creek.
AllTrails track.
