We hiked Ontario Peak on Friday. Starting at 7:30AM, I was astonished to see that the parking lot was still 2/3 empty. For once, Icehouse Canyon was more of a wilderness experience instead of a conga line. The small spring just below the saddle has now dried up. The water flow at Kellys was decent, but seemed a bit smaller than last week.
There are nice views from the trail junction above Kellys. The haze was a bit thinner than usual so you could make out Ontario airport and the Santa Ana Mountains.
It's also one spot from where you can see the peaks from West Baldy to Cucamonga.
Columbine Spring continues to flow well. There is a small spring a few hundred feet below the saddle that is now dry. It is only a trickle at the spring peak. Here is a picture made on June 13 when it still had a little water. Is is easy to walk by without realizing that it is there.
RichardK wrote:Columbine Spring continues to flow well. There is a small spring a few hundred feet below the saddle that is now dry. It is only a trickle at the spring peak. Here is a picture made on June 13 when it still had a little water. Is is easy to walk by without realizing that it is there.
Hi, Richard, I've heard people mention that spring before, but as many times as I've been through that area, I've never seen it. Where is it exactly in relation to the saddle? I assume it's on the Icehouse Canyon side, yes? Where is it in relationship to the trail?
Hikin_Jim - That spring is between the eastern Chapman Trail junction and the Icehouse Saddle. There is a short section of straight, flat trail that then makes a sharp hairpin turn to the left going uphill. The spring is off to the right of the flat section as you hike towards the saddle. A faint use trail about 10 feet long leads to it. We are hiking Cucamonga on the 18th. I can get a picture of the area.
Board admins - Thanks for using my picture, much appreciated. If you need a different size, go to my smugmug site www.richardk.smugmug.com and the gallery Ontario Peak 2009-07-03. I put a lot of pictures there - the good, the bad, and the ugly.
you're not asking me for advice on putting up a photo are you? i can't even figure out how to load an avatar!!!!
but it would be cool to have a board pix in the fall when the leaves turn color in Icehouse Canyon, and a winter scene in winter, etc. just my .02 cents.
you're not asking me for advice on putting up a photo are you? i can't even figure out how to load an avatar!!!!
but it would be cool to have a board pix in the fall when the leaves turn color in Icehouse Canyon, and a winter scene in winter, etc. just my .02 cents.
I try to do that, and I wish there was a way for it to automatically scroll through a sort of album. I'm sure there is... I'm gonna look into it right now.
Yeah dunno... BUT... expect things to change for the better by 2010. My hopes are for this forum to evolve into a real site with its own domain name, and user-created content.