EISPIRATEN

Did a solo traverse of the four OBCE peaks today. I wanted to get Sugarloaf as well via Tom and Travis' route, but when I came to the first waterfall at Falling Rock Canyon I couldn't figure out how to get around it. At first I went left (east) of the waterfall but I nixed that idea because I wasn't sure what was up there. Then I tried to climb the rock face on the far right (west) side of the falls (not shown in the picture below). I only got up 10 feet and abandoned the attempt. The rock is nearly vertical, continues on for who knows how far and I didn't trust how it looked. I've had bad experiences on crumbling rock and I'm not even a real climber, so I said forget it.

I spent 40 minutes fooling around at FRC and had accomplished nothing. I retreated back to the main trail and went up to the Saddle. Now I had to go all the way around to get to Ontario. Turns out Christopher Brennan says there is a use trail around the bushes east of this first FRC waterfall. I should have printed out his trail description.

Of the four OBCE peaks, I've only been to Cucamonga, so it was an interesting day. Ontario is freakin' far--at least if feels that way. That place is strange. The dead and stripped trees remind me of a nuclear winter. Lots of brush and wildflowers, though. I saw several weird birds that walked around on the ground like chickens and would run scared into the bush when they saw me. I guess they're Ptarmigans? But these ones had a vertical feather on their head. At Ontario I climbed the quasi summit block--that was fun.

The traverse to Etiwanda is also nice. You walk in a forest of dense pine trees. Since it had rained overnight, the whole place smelled like that bark you buy for ground cover at the Home Depot. The ground was covered in damp pine needles, so it was soft and springy. On the way back from Etiwanda to Cucamonga, I came across some mushrooms on the trail. I've never seen that before.

I started the hike at 7:30am and ended at 5:30pm, so 10 hrs of hiking. I carried 3L of water and had a little bit left at the end. It was overcast, cool and humid. At Columbine Spring I washed my hands and face and drank a few handfuls of water. I guess I was taking a chance but that was the best tasting water I've ever had! It was kinda sweet.

The first waterfall at FRC


A Ptarmigan?


Ontario Peak


Is that Sugarloaf on the left?


Damn Cucamonga campers


Etiwanda and Cucamonga in the distance.


Mushrooms

Tim wrote: Turns out Christopher Brennan says there is a use trail around the bushes east of this first FRC waterfall.

I get pissed just reading this. I'd go back next week and find the use trail then go do the 3Ts or something. Nice pictures. Could that bird be a quail?

Doh! Yeah, it's a quail. Shows you how much I know about birds.

Man you had a big Icehouse weekend!

Nice pics.

If you go far around the left/east side of the falls, it's an easy up. Found this out the hard way after doing it the hard way about 5 or 6 times.

That bird is a California Quail. Excellent photo by the way.

Nice photo of the dead snag on the summit of Ontario. It is freakin' far, no doubt about it. I've always called that area the "moonscape," but nuclear winter is about right. On a hot day, the sun just glares off that whitish decomposed granite soil, making it into a mini solar oven. Can't believe you did it on 3L of water. I needed 6L the week prior, but the wx was hotter (and I'm admittedly a heavy sweater).

That is the Sugarloaf on the left of that one pic.

Pretty good hike for a "Plan B" route!

Thanks Taco for the tip. I'll have to come back and try again.

Thanks HJ for the info. It was overcast and much cooler than the day you went. Also, I'm not sure if this matters but I'm a pretty small guy so maybe my water requirement are much less...not Rick Kent style much less, but 3L is usually about right for me on these long hikes.