Hey all,
Just a quick update on the Ice House Canyon trail to Cucamonga Peak…
Went up yesterday, lots of snow, even below IHC Saddle. Doable in normal hiking boots/shoes, you might slip and slide a bit. Beyond the saddle, as usual, is a different story. We went with crampons and axes and was still slow going. The normal ‘trail’ is not visible, so it really amounts to you piecing together your own traverse in a lot of spots. We followed someone else’s tracks for a while, which did lead the correct way, but winds up and down quite a bit so we did some of our own trailblazing. We got to the Saddle between Bighorn and Cucamonga at 1pm. Judging by how long that had taken us (2 hours from IHC Saddle) we opted not to hit the summit, as that would have probably added another hour minimum, and we didn’t feel like traversing back around Bighorn as the snow hardened and iced up in the shade. An earlier start would have made the difference.
Anyways just a heads up, it’s steep and slick back there, and tons of snow. We both self arrested a couple simple falls descending some 45-50 degree slopes. It’s totally manageable but I would recommend an early start and crampons/axe for sure.
Will be back to close that one out, happy hiking!
Dave
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