I noticed this when I hiked Baldy a couple of weeks ago when I started late at around 9. It seems most people are terrified of the heat, want to have some weekend left over after their hike, or are slow.
I hiked Cucamonga this weekend and it was really enjoyable. I started at 9:15 too late for the Icehouse Saddle and beyond hikers and too early for the casual let's go hang out in the creek crowd. It was eerie hiking at this time and having the entire lower canyon to myself. There are some parties but few and far between. As you get to the upper canyon things do get busy as you pass the slow early morning hikers and get passed by the fit hikers coming back from IHS.
Once I reached the saddle it again quieted down until I was about halfway up the switchbacks to Cucamonga, as the same story repeated itself passing a few slow hikers and the fit group coming back down. On the top there was a massive crowd and I wasn't really tired so I had a quick snack and started down.
My entire route down to IHS I maybe passed four groups. At the saddle there was hardly anyone and I had most of the upper and middle canyon to myself with a few parties braving the heat. Once I got to the lower cool canyon all the recreationalists were out in force. Overall though with the crowds that were out there it really felt like a weekday hike, you just have to deal with that afternoon heat on the way down.
Summer-Eliminate Crowd Strategy
Parking is on the street, I now park before getting to IH right before the homes. I think Cuc has become even more popular because now its part of that six pack peak challenge that Socal Hikers has publicized for the last seven years or so. I heard some hikers mentioning it on the top.
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Uncle Rico
- Posts: 1401
- Joined: Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:48 pm
The last time I was out that way I bypassed Cucamonga and continued on to Etiwanda. No crowd there. :q22:
Etiwanda is de best!Uncle Rico wrote: ↑The last time I was out that way I bypassed Cucamonga and continued on to Etiwanda. No crowd there. :q22: