| Peak | Mt Baldy |
|---|---|
| Group | N/A |
| Trailhead | Manker Flats trailhead |
My son and I had planned on doing Cucamonga Peak via Icehouse Canyon. We arrived at the Mt. Baldy visitor center and filled out a permit. We asked the ranger about trail conditions and he said there were reports of a tiny bit of ice at the summit, but no other problems.
We get to Icehouse Canyon Road, and it’s closed. There was road construction going on, and the construction workers were not even allowing people to walk up the road to the trailhead. I guess there was a helicopter flying in support of the construction. I guess the rangers at the visitor center had no idea about this. So it off to plan B, Mt. Baldy.
Turns out it was the perfect day for Mt. Baldy. Everything worked out better than we could have hoped for. The weather and the trail conditions could not have been better.
One thing to note is that if you haven’t done Mt. Baldy before and want to do the loop that is mentioned on the site, do the Ski Hut (Baldy Bowl) trail on the way up, not the way down. Both my son and myself agree that the Ski Hut trail would have been a mistake coming down. Way steeper and more technical. Take Devil’s Backbone on the way down. It’s longer, but way easier on the knees and the ankles.
