That’s why you ALSO need to prepare for the worse. 😉

Hope is never a good plan.

I want to go back next week, but I’m afraid there will still be a lot of snow. Is there any of the other 6 peaks, besides Mt Wilson, where there’s no snow at the moment?

Bring grippy shoes, 1 gallon of water, 4 bananas and salted/roasted almonds. BOOM. For bonus points take your street bike so you can smash through all the twisties on the way to and from the trailhead. Convince me there’s a better way to spend a saturday.

Hi Jeremy,

It’s never “safe” — hiking has many inherent dangers. But Ontario Peak is a bit lower and doesn’t have that steep traverse on the backside of Big Horn, so it is often “safer” than Cucamonga, earlier.

Be sure to check out our guide to Ontario Peak and check out our hike logs from the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge. Click the Ontario Peak button to show just logs from that peak.

Is it safe to hike this time of year?

I’ve read Mount Baldy shouldn’t be hiked when it’s snowy because the Devil’s Backbone is too treacherous.

How is Ontario with snow?

Safe?

Thanks everyone!

Hike on!!!!!

Best is to be there early, by 6:00am parking might be filled already and you will be parking far along the road. Permit is self-serve and always available at the Trailhead. Good luck on your hike and enjoy!

I believe it never closes and there’s no gate. So come in early as you please. Just don’t forget to put your adventure pass on display. People leave their cars overnight when they stay somewhere up in that high country.

There is Kelly Camp, which requires a slightly longer route. You’ll see a junction for that route on your way to the saddle. But my favorite is to camp on the summit. There are no established campsites, so be cautious to follow Leave No Trace principles and remember that there are no campfires allowed.

NOTE: It gets really windy up there at night, but the views (if it’s clear) are spectacular!

No need to get a permit in advance at this time. There is a box at the trailhead with blank permits that you can fill out. You keep a copy and put the original in a slot for the ranger. Be aware that sometimes they run out of blank forms, and in that case, you’d have to stop by the visitor center in Baldy Village.

There are places to pitch a tent on the peak however there is no water. The nearest water would be from Columbine Spring which is a mile below Icehouse Saddle in Icehouse Canyon

Does anyone know why it smells like flour up there? Yes, flour. Really strong smell when you hit the Saddle and at points heading up from there. I’m from the East Coast so forgive my naïveté.

In other news, I found a FitBit on the way down at the second mile marker (7:40 AM this morning 7/21). I tried to drop it at the ranger station but it was closed. If you lost it and happen to see this, please post!

I have also spent the night on Baldy, and San Gorgonio at High Creek camp.

Camping is allowed anywhere in the cucamonga wilderness but there are two main spots where you could camp going to Cucamonga peak: Kelly Camp which is .9 miles from Icehouse canyon on the way to Ontario peak. Or the summit of cucamonga peak which I highly recommend. The sunrise and sunset views from Cucamonga peak are great, and there are many good campsites. There is no water at either of these camps, and you can fill out a permit at the Icehouse canyon trailhead.

As of today 4/23/16 they told me there is still a considerable amount of snow and ice. They stressed having crampons and and ice ax (and the skills to use them) with you if you attempt Cucamonga at this time. I’m told that this is due to the fact that the route is partially north facing.

She took the time to remind me that several people have died this year due to conditions. She stressed that while it may be possible for the basic hiker to reach the summit, getting back down in the snow/ice is where people get in trouble.

On the upside, conditions are supposed to be good for Mt. Baldy (no snow/ice) via Ski Hut or Devils Backbone, but it may be windy with highs during the day in the 40’s at the top.

Have fun and be careful out there!

Let me know how that trip goes. A group of us are backpacking up in May. I am hopeful that it is warmer than below freezing at the top, but I assume we can find a place to camp mid way up as well.

Jim

By backwoods hiking, do you mean backpacking to primitive camp?

Thank you

Just wanted to let folks know to be figure out where this turn is. It shows up on my map, but it was still easy enough for me to miss. I left some rocks pointing an arrow toward the summit “trail.” They probably won’t last long though.

Great reminder, Ranger Bill. Reading something on a website (even SoCalHiker) is no substitute for a good map and the knowledge of how to navigate. Cucamonga Peak is a wilderness hike — and people need to equip themselves with the knowledge they need to get back safely in a wide range of conditions — inclement weather, wildfire, injury, etc.

I’ve added a warning to the guide to help remind readers that this is a serious hike that requires serious preparation. It’s not a just a stroll in the local community park.

Take responsibility for yourself. If you don’t have a map get one, take a half an hour the night prior and study that map. We are in our 4th year of drought and this fire season has already cost us the SG Wilderness. If a fire in errupts Ice House Saddle area while you are on Cucamonga Peak, do you know how to hike out from there?

Great point, Jazmin! That’s something I sort of took for granted, having taken permits before. One thing to be aware of is that each jurisdiction has different rules about how many people you can have on one permit. If in doubt, check with the ranger!

It might not be clearly visible because of the trees, but it theoretically *should* be within line of sight.

Hi Tina! Awesome that you’re doing the Six-Pack! Right now, Cucamonga is probably going to have some patches of snow and ice on the north-facing slopes. I posted this on the SoCalHiker Facebook page and got some feedback on current conditions. Generally there is some snow and ice and trekking poles and microspikes are recommended: https://www.facebook.com/SoCalHiker/photos/a.10150297100429344.355109.281739894343/10153073944739344/?type=1&permPage=1

Ultimately it’s up to you and your comfort level. Plan for the best, prepare for the worst. Be aware of the weather forecast and conditions and be ready to turn around if need be. So yes, you can hike Cucamonga now. If we get a big snowstorm, that’s a different situation.

Each of the peaks in the Six-Pack gets progressively taller, so conditions become more of a concern as you go. Since we have had a lot of warm weather and not a lot of snowfall, you might be okay.

It really varies! When I’ve hiked it in June and run into large patches of snow. But it can get also get pretty warm or even uncomfortably hot. Should you take a light jacket, even in the summer? Absolutely. Always carry the 10 essentials, and that includes some form of clothes for the unexpected. I had a couple friends who did a summer hike up to nearby Ontario Peak. They were attempting to take a cross-country “short-cut” back down the mountain and got stuck on a ledge overnight. They were rescued by helicopters the next day, and had to spend a chilly night in the mountains. So… Prepare for the worse, and hope for the best! 🙂

M, if the link opens as text, try right-clicking and “Save Link as…” (the message is a little different in each browser). This will save it as a .GPX file on your computer. You can then use whatever software you use for your GPS to transfer the file, or you can load it into Google Earth to visualize the trail in 3D. FUN!

Thanks for the update, Jason. Even without snow that trail can be fairly indistinct. Glad you were able to follow some tracks to make it easier. Did you need yak tracks or snowshoes?

Bradyn, yes, the sign marking the last stretch to the summit is hard to find. Is the wooden sign (see the photo above) gone now?

And you are correct about dogs. Being in the National Forest jurisdiction, dogs are allowed. If your dog can handle the hike, by all means, they are allowed. I’ve updated the info accordingly.

No, I didn’t lose the trail but there were a couple of places where the snow patches “strategically” covered a switchback. If you followed the direction of the path you were on, you could easily have missed the switchback.
With the heat we’ve had, I don’t think that will be a problem again until it starts snowing in the fall. The snow was rapidly melting.