| Peak | Cucamonga Peak |
|---|---|
| Group | N/A |
| Trailhead | Icehouse Canyon |
The hike to Cucamonga Peak via Icehouse Canyon is one of my favorites in the San Gabriel Mountains and is best described as two sections. The first part is up Icehouse Canyon to Icehouse Saddle. The second part is from Icehouse Saddle to Cucamonga Peak. The lot for the Icehouse Canyon trail-head was already full at 7:30AM so I had to park on the street, which added probably a 1/2 mile total to the trip. The hike up the canyon to the saddle was quick an uneventful. It was windy once I got to the saddle and wind would be the theme off and on until the peak. The saddle to the peak, especially the last mile was tough as you gain the last 1,000 feet you start to feel the elevation a bit. Also as you go around Bighorn peak you will lose a bit of elevation before gaining again. Make note of this because that means you’ll gain some elevation on the way back. If you aren’t ready for that it can be a bit challenging mentally. Once at top of Cucamonga the view is spectacular! It was made even more interesting because I was above the clouds/June gloom we have been having the past few days. The hike back down was quick, although once you are back in Icehouse Canyon there is a lot of loose rock that makes the trip back slower than it seems it should be. Overall a great hike!
