Blackmouth - Feb 27, 2009 5:07 pm Date Climbed: Feb 24, 2009
SW Ridge-Winter Ascent
Took Deer Canyon to the SW Ridge of Cucamonga Peak. Climbed with Forjan & Mdostby. There was nothing fast about this route, lots of buckbrush and lots of deep postholing even with snow shoes on. Eventually had to ditch the snow shoes and just postholed all the way up. I think that this route would actually be a-lot harder later in the season without the snow, there is no trail higher up and a-lot of brush to get through. There was also a small chossy section of class 3 to get through. Bring a helmet!
June 5th, 2012
4th Summit of Cucamonga Peak. Car to car in 6 1/2 hours. Used my leatherman to fix the pole to an American Flag on the summit. Got a great summit pic with the flag in the background. No snow,no ice and no summit register.
mdostby - Feb 25, 2009 4:35 pm Date Climbed: Feb 24, 2009
Deer Cyn - SW Ridge
Feb 24th 2009
Tried the Deer Canyon approach from the south again with Miguel and Tony. This time we went left/west on the San Sevain trk trail and went up the SW ridge. Much less brush to deal with. I became exhusted and turned back. Miguel and Tony went on to summit. This route goes but does have a moderate amount of bush whacking and in our case a bunch of deep postholing. Hopefully my 3rd attempt will be sucsessful.
SierraCJ - Feb 1, 2009 11:44 pm Date Climbed: Dec 13, 2008
Above the clouds
Done on a very cold and windy day from Icehouse Canyon. Just barely above the clouds at summit. Extremely windy at top but very rewarding.
mdostby - Jan 2, 2009 8:12 pm Date Climbed: Jan 2, 2009
Deer Canyon
Attempted Cucamonga Peak via Deer Canyon - South Ridge. As I was afraid of, the return of extremely thick brush, buckthorn, whitethorn...whatever the 'F'-thorn, has choked off the South Ridge. I did find a way to gain the ridge 100 yards past the 180 degree turn on San Savaine truck trail. There is a very steep, 400', class 3 chute full of very loose scree and boulders that you can crawl up to gain the ridge. Once on the ridge line I was able to weave in and around the brush to about the 7,000' level. Here I hit a massive wall of whitethorn. I tried for an hour to get through it or around it. Nothing. So close to the summit, but not today. Unless this shit burns again, I doubt this route is doable.
I grew up looking up at this majestic peak. I remember many people in Upland being sure Cucamonga Peak was a volcano just because of its shape. I could not argue with those people, they were sure that it had to be one. I always loved the hike up to the peak. The fun little swithbacks, and the incredible view. I have spent a lot of time in the Tetons, and the view straight down from Cucamonga Peak, is similar in how far you look down. The big difference is of course, a couple of million people living below. I used to love drinking the water out of Columbine Spring on the hike up. Is this spring still running?
MelitoIrpino - Nov 17, 2008 12:52 pm Date Climbed: Nov 14, 2008
Great Views
Hiked on a Friday and hardly saw anybody on the trail from Icehouse to Cucamonga. Continued on to Etiwanda Peak which was a nice extra couple of miles that really had a wilderness feel. Great views all the way from Cucamonga Saddle to Etiwanda.
Ze - Oct 20, 2008 10:11 pm Date Climbed: Jul 12, 2008
From IHC
as advertised
fuzzy05 - Sep 4, 2008 3:11 pm Date Climbed: Jun 1, 2008
Baldy's less crowded little brother.
Hiked via Icehouse Canyon on a beautiful, fairly un-smoggy day. There was a bit of snow left on the trail. This was my first hike other than Mt. Baldy in the San Gabriels, and I can't wait to explore the other mountains accessed by Icehouse Canyon.
Wanting to do something different on Cucamonga Peak, hitched a ride up to Baldy Village and then hiked up Icehouse to the saddle and continued the usual route up Cucamonga Peak. Triggered lots of small slides up to the summit. I knew the snow down the south side reached ~4,000' level so I went down the drainage from the peak glissading about a couple thousand feet and then riding on the slide I had triggered for another 500 or so until I started sinking in. Did the usual swimming motion and when everything stopped and set up like concrete, my head and one arm was free. Took a long time to free myself, scary to be caught in something like that. Took a long time to reach Alta Loma.
Super Dave - May 17, 2008 10:37 am Date Climbed: May 10, 2008
Cowabunga Cucamonga
A great day in the mountains. Still a fair amount of snow from the Cucamonga saddle to the summit. We talked to a few folks who turned back because of that, but it didn’t create any major difficulties for us. We eventually gave up on the mostly snow covered trail, and did some light bushwhacking up the northwest ridge to the summit. Here’s a trip-report and some photos.
Nice hike today, intermittent patches of snow from Icehouse Saddle to the Saddle between Bighorn and Cucamonga. Lots of snow on the North Side, nearly all the way to the top of Cucamonga, though the summit was bare. Fun Day.
I climbed this with my (now) wife in 2001, give or take a year, and it wiped her out.
jonmeek16 - Feb 3, 2008 10:47 am Date Climbed: May 8, 2002
multiple assents
I've ascended Cucamonga about a half a dozen times. It's a great hike year round. It's fun to spend the night up there as well. Great view of the valley. You feel so far away from people when you see houses just a few thousand feet below.
Schuetzenweber - Dec 26, 2007 10:39 am Date Climbed: Oct 12, 2007
Cucamonga/Etiwanda
Great peak with awesome views all around.
One of my new favorites. Climbed it with Ryan and Haili, then headed over to Etiwanda.
Jackalopes - Dec 4, 2007 2:21 pm Date Climbed: Sep 15, 2007
Killer View of the Valley & Catalina Island!
If you do this on the right day YOU CAN SEE FOREVER! Very straight forward trail. After the first hour, you are on your own for water. Once yu get past the Icehouse saddle you probably are done seeing people. Nice 6 to 8 hour hike.
hashref - Nov 27, 2007 8:01 pm Date Climbed: Nov 17, 2007
Via Icehouse Canyon
I arrived at the Icehouse trailhead around 7:30am and had a bit of trouble parking. I eventually found a parking space and hit the trail around 7:45am. I ran into several large groups of people, apparently in some sort of walking group, headed down about 1/2 mile up the trail. Once they passed, I was pretty much alone most of the way, only running into a few hikers as I took a break at the saddle. The rest of the hike to the peak was solitary, quiet and wonderful. I was completely alone on the peak for roughly 45 minutes and ran into a single hiker as I started my descent.
I couldn't really see much from the peak due to the fog that blanketed the valley below and out as far as my eye could see. It was forecasted to burn off by noon, but it never did. All that I could see were the peaks from distant mountains (San Gregornio, San Jacinto, Saddleback, etc...) jutting out from the billowy cloud cover. But I honestly wasn't disappointed. It was an absolutely beautiful and peaceful experience.
All in all, it was a perfect day for a perfect hike and I am looking forward to doing it again.
eric.hannan - Oct 22, 2007 9:29 pm Date Climbed: Sep 15, 2007
Big Bear Fire
We bagged Timber Peak during the night and had planned on hitting the 3 T's! Once we got to the top we decided to hit up Cucamonga which we've done before just to get a closer view of the big bear fire. It was great to watch it at night, pictures don't describe it!
The Tailor - Oct 7, 2007 10:19 pm Date Climbed: Oct 7, 2007
Icehouse TH
View was spectacular! Very windy and cold in the morning, but that all died down when we got to the summit.
eric.hannan - Aug 20, 2007 8:38 pm Date Climbed: Aug 19, 2007
Slept On The Top
Started the hike at around 9pm. Perfect conditions for hiking and I was surprised by the view at the top. I have done all the big ones (San Gorgonio, Mt. Baldy, etc) but this hike has amazing views all the way around! We waited till sunrise came and after it blew us all away hiked down and then ran into alot of people coming up. Do it at night and enjoy the mountain alone!
Vic Hanson - Aug 4, 2007 4:40 pm Date Climbed: Oct 13, 2002
From Middle Fork of Lytle Creek
The best way to avoid the crowds on this, or any hike to Icehouse Saddle, is to come up from the east side via the Middle Fork of Lytle Creek, which is a great wilderness hike, normally no one on the trail. Did it twice, first time made the summit, 2nd time as part of an overnight backpacking trip, got caught in a beautiful snow fall, large fluffy flakes and no wind. My hiking partner, Carol, got too cold from wet feet so we turned around short of the summit.
Blackmouth - Feb 27, 2009 5:07 pm Date Climbed: Feb 24, 2009
SW Ridge-Winter AscentTook Deer Canyon to the SW Ridge of Cucamonga Peak. Climbed with Forjan & Mdostby. There was nothing fast about this route, lots of buckbrush and lots of deep postholing even with snow shoes on. Eventually had to ditch the snow shoes and just postholed all the way up. I think that this route would actually be a-lot harder later in the season without the snow, there is no trail higher up and a-lot of brush to get through. There was also a small chossy section of class 3 to get through. Bring a helmet!
June 5th, 2012
4th Summit of Cucamonga Peak. Car to car in 6 1/2 hours. Used my leatherman to fix the pole to an American Flag on the summit. Got a great summit pic with the flag in the background. No snow,no ice and no summit register.
mdostby - Feb 25, 2009 4:35 pm Date Climbed: Feb 24, 2009
Deer Cyn - SW RidgeFeb 24th 2009
Tried the Deer Canyon approach from the south again with Miguel and Tony. This time we went left/west on the San Sevain trk trail and went up the SW ridge. Much less brush to deal with. I became exhusted and turned back. Miguel and Tony went on to summit. This route goes but does have a moderate amount of bush whacking and in our case a bunch of deep postholing. Hopefully my 3rd attempt will be sucsessful.
SierraCJ - Feb 1, 2009 11:44 pm Date Climbed: Dec 13, 2008
Above the cloudsDone on a very cold and windy day from Icehouse Canyon. Just barely above the clouds at summit. Extremely windy at top but very rewarding.
mdostby - Jan 2, 2009 8:12 pm Date Climbed: Jan 2, 2009
Deer CanyonAttempted Cucamonga Peak via Deer Canyon - South Ridge. As I was afraid of, the return of extremely thick brush, buckthorn, whitethorn...whatever the 'F'-thorn, has choked off the South Ridge. I did find a way to gain the ridge 100 yards past the 180 degree turn on San Savaine truck trail. There is a very steep, 400', class 3 chute full of very loose scree and boulders that you can crawl up to gain the ridge. Once on the ridge line I was able to weave in and around the brush to about the 7,000' level. Here I hit a massive wall of whitethorn. I tried for an hour to get through it or around it. Nothing. So close to the summit, but not today. Unless this shit burns again, I doubt this route is doable.
wyopeakMike - Nov 29, 2008 7:45 pm
volcano?I grew up looking up at this majestic peak. I remember many people in Upland being sure Cucamonga Peak was a volcano just because of its shape. I could not argue with those people, they were sure that it had to be one. I always loved the hike up to the peak. The fun little swithbacks, and the incredible view. I have spent a lot of time in the Tetons, and the view straight down from Cucamonga Peak, is similar in how far you look down. The big difference is of course, a couple of million people living below. I used to love drinking the water out of Columbine Spring on the hike up. Is this spring still running?
MelitoIrpino - Nov 17, 2008 12:52 pm Date Climbed: Nov 14, 2008
Great ViewsHiked on a Friday and hardly saw anybody on the trail from Icehouse to Cucamonga. Continued on to Etiwanda Peak which was a nice extra couple of miles that really had a wilderness feel. Great views all the way from Cucamonga Saddle to Etiwanda.
Ze - Oct 20, 2008 10:11 pm Date Climbed: Jul 12, 2008
From IHCas advertised
fuzzy05 - Sep 4, 2008 3:11 pm Date Climbed: Jun 1, 2008
Baldy's less crowded little brother.Hiked via Icehouse Canyon on a beautiful, fairly un-smoggy day. There was a bit of snow left on the trail. This was my first hike other than Mt. Baldy in the San Gabriels, and I can't wait to explore the other mountains accessed by Icehouse Canyon.
TripoliRick - Jun 30, 2008 11:33 pm
Caught in an "Avalanche"Wanting to do something different on Cucamonga Peak, hitched a ride up to Baldy Village and then hiked up Icehouse to the saddle and continued the usual route up Cucamonga Peak. Triggered lots of small slides up to the summit. I knew the snow down the south side reached ~4,000' level so I went down the drainage from the peak glissading about a couple thousand feet and then riding on the slide I had triggered for another 500 or so until I started sinking in. Did the usual swimming motion and when everything stopped and set up like concrete, my head and one arm was free. Took a long time to free myself, scary to be caught in something like that. Took a long time to reach Alta Loma.
Super Dave - May 17, 2008 10:37 am Date Climbed: May 10, 2008
Cowabunga CucamongaA great day in the mountains. Still a fair amount of snow from the Cucamonga saddle to the summit. We talked to a few folks who turned back because of that, but it didn’t create any major difficulties for us. We eventually gave up on the mostly snow covered trail, and did some light bushwhacking up the northwest ridge to the summit. Here’s a trip-report and some photos.
Phiilybe - Apr 27, 2008 6:59 pm Date Climbed: Apr 26, 2008
A Tad SnowyNice hike today, intermittent patches of snow from Icehouse Saddle to the Saddle between Bighorn and Cucamonga. Lots of snow on the North Side, nearly all the way to the top of Cucamonga, though the summit was bare. Fun Day.
Sam Page - Apr 20, 2008 12:11 pm
SmogI climbed this with my (now) wife in 2001, give or take a year, and it wiped her out.
jonmeek16 - Feb 3, 2008 10:47 am Date Climbed: May 8, 2002
multiple assentsI've ascended Cucamonga about a half a dozen times. It's a great hike year round. It's fun to spend the night up there as well. Great view of the valley. You feel so far away from people when you see houses just a few thousand feet below.
Schuetzenweber - Dec 26, 2007 10:39 am Date Climbed: Oct 12, 2007
Cucamonga/EtiwandaGreat peak with awesome views all around.
One of my new favorites. Climbed it with Ryan and Haili, then headed over to Etiwanda.
Jackalopes - Dec 4, 2007 2:21 pm Date Climbed: Sep 15, 2007
Killer View of the Valley & Catalina Island!If you do this on the right day YOU CAN SEE FOREVER! Very straight forward trail. After the first hour, you are on your own for water. Once yu get past the Icehouse saddle you probably are done seeing people. Nice 6 to 8 hour hike.
hashref - Nov 27, 2007 8:01 pm Date Climbed: Nov 17, 2007
Via Icehouse CanyonI arrived at the Icehouse trailhead around 7:30am and had a bit of trouble parking. I eventually found a parking space and hit the trail around 7:45am. I ran into several large groups of people, apparently in some sort of walking group, headed down about 1/2 mile up the trail. Once they passed, I was pretty much alone most of the way, only running into a few hikers as I took a break at the saddle. The rest of the hike to the peak was solitary, quiet and wonderful. I was completely alone on the peak for roughly 45 minutes and ran into a single hiker as I started my descent.
I couldn't really see much from the peak due to the fog that blanketed the valley below and out as far as my eye could see. It was forecasted to burn off by noon, but it never did. All that I could see were the peaks from distant mountains (San Gregornio, San Jacinto, Saddleback, etc...) jutting out from the billowy cloud cover. But I honestly wasn't disappointed. It was an absolutely beautiful and peaceful experience.
All in all, it was a perfect day for a perfect hike and I am looking forward to doing it again.
eric.hannan - Oct 22, 2007 9:29 pm Date Climbed: Sep 15, 2007
Big Bear FireWe bagged Timber Peak during the night and had planned on hitting the 3 T's! Once we got to the top we decided to hit up Cucamonga which we've done before just to get a closer view of the big bear fire. It was great to watch it at night, pictures don't describe it!
The Tailor - Oct 7, 2007 10:19 pm Date Climbed: Oct 7, 2007
Icehouse THView was spectacular! Very windy and cold in the morning, but that all died down when we got to the summit.
eric.hannan - Aug 20, 2007 8:38 pm Date Climbed: Aug 19, 2007
Slept On The TopStarted the hike at around 9pm. Perfect conditions for hiking and I was surprised by the view at the top. I have done all the big ones (San Gorgonio, Mt. Baldy, etc) but this hike has amazing views all the way around! We waited till sunrise came and after it blew us all away hiked down and then ran into alot of people coming up. Do it at night and enjoy the mountain alone!
Vic Hanson - Aug 4, 2007 4:40 pm Date Climbed: Oct 13, 2002
From Middle Fork of Lytle CreekThe best way to avoid the crowds on this, or any hike to Icehouse Saddle, is to come up from the east side via the Middle Fork of Lytle Creek, which is a great wilderness hike, normally no one on the trail. Did it twice, first time made the summit, 2nd time as part of an overnight backpacking trip, got caught in a beautiful snow fall, large fluffy flakes and no wind. My hiking partner, Carol, got too cold from wet feet so we turned around short of the summit.