The further we went the more snow there was
Eventually we hiked above the clouds and into sunshine:)
3.6 miles in, we made it to the saddle of Ice House Canyon
Onward to Timber Mountain we go!
Almost there!
555 feet lower than Cucamonga Peak
To new friends #getsome
So much snow!
One of the reasons to get to the top, the view is always breathtaking:)
When there is snow, you got the crazies who'd drop for a snow angel haha
Trail: Ice House Canyon to Timber Mountain
Location: Mount Baldy, California
Miles: around 9 miles round trip
Time: 3 hours to top of Timber, 2 hours down to parking lot
Hiked: May 9, 2015
Tizzy and I enjoy planning big hikes, but because of our work schedules, we have to coordinate and plan weeks in advance. Cucamonga Peak was originally planned, but because of the stormy week we had here, there was too much snow on the trail, and we didn't have the right gear to get there. So we settled with Timber Mountain, which did not disappoint!
Friday night, I stopped by REI and picked up a parking pass for the trail (aka Adventure pass, $5 for one time use, or $30 for a year for multiple uses); ranger station opens at 7 am, and we wanted to hit the trail before then so I picked one up ahead of time. The plans were to meet at the Mt Baldy Visitor Center (6778 Mount Baldy Rd Mt Baldy, CA 91759) Saturday morning at 6:30-6:45 am. The group of us were coming from various places, Glendale, Long Beach, Redondo Beach, and Montclair.
Saturday morning we hit the Ice House Canyon Trail by 7 am. It was cold but bearable. We started hitting small patches of snow 2 miles in. At this point Cucamonga Peak was still our destination, but as we passed 2 solo hikers who tried to summit it, they said it wasn't doable due to a foot of snow and losing the trail the further they went. They said Timber Mountain was ok to hike to the top, so off to Timber we went! There were tons of people at the saddle, but once we started up Timber, there were less and less people. Once we got to the top of Timber, we ate lunch, meditated, chatted with other hikers, who gave great tips and insight of other trails and activities, and then headed back down. Because we spent an hour and a half at the summit, by the time we headed down, the snow was melting and the trails were slushy. The weather on the trail varied, when in the shade it was cold, but once in the sun it definitely got warm even though we were surrounded by snow, the summit was cold because of some wind, but besides that the weather was perfect! Between this trail and summiting Mt Baldy, I definitely enjoyed this trail more, maybe because it had more trees lol.
We finished around 1:45 pm and grabbed a bite to eat at Mt Baldy Lodge. Another successful hike even if we had to reroute. Planning on going back when weather is less snowy to summit Cucamonga, but I think the Three Tee's Trail (Timber, Telegraph, and Thunder Mtn 16 miles round trip) is now on my bucket list to hike this year as well.
Until next time Baldy!
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