2/16/15 Another hike with Dad, this time up the Middle Fork Trail to the Icehouse Canyon Saddle. 12 miles, almost 5,000' of gain, and some great trail without the normal Icehouse Canyon crowds.
1 Dad looking down at the Middle Fork of Lytle creek, or what remains of it in this very dry year.
2 Looking back down the valley below the treeline.
3 Lytle Creek.
4 Heading up the valley.
5 Great single track the entire way with interesting terrain and foliage.
6 The trail was overgrown in places. Dad forgot to bring his loppers!
7 Almost to the saddle and we start to hit some patches of snow.
8 Made it to the saddle!
9 Dad's picture of me at the saddle. We had only seen one pair of backpackers the whole way up. But just sitting on the saddle for a while, we see ten times that many. All had come up the popular side from the West. Definitely good validation that we had chose the better trail for the day!
10 Dad posiing near where we sought shelter from howling winds and snow on a showshoe trip to the saddle a few years ago.
11 A sea of pine cones on the way back down from the saddle.
12 Descending down some great single track.
13 There's some gnarly trees all along the trail here.
14 Dad navigating the treefall.
15 Heading out of the Cucamonga Wilderness.
16 The sun is getting low as we head back down the valley.
17 Made it back to the trailhead. Another great day in the San Gabriels.