Great prepper for Whitney, if for nothing else than all the switchbacks. And an endurance hike to boot. Start low and finish high with a consistent never ending incline. Trail affords some nice views, but the big payoff is the summit with views of All the big SoCal peaks. Wilson, Baldy, The 3 Ts, San Jacinto, and Gorgonio. Make time and end your day in Wrightwood at The Yodler for post hike food and grog. Fun day!

Weekday conditioning hike. Offers great views at the top and beautiful sunsets.

Saturday tackled peak number 2 of the So Cal 6 Pack of Peaks. Icehouse Canyon to Cucamonga Peak. Topping out at 8844 ft./12+ miles. It was a gorgeous day. Our great group started early 7ish under clear blue skies and cool temps (thankfully). Hit the summit at 10:30, soaked in the views with photo ops galore overlooking Ontario, Fontana and the greater Inland Empire. Tough descent over loose rocks and boulders, the knees are angry with me. Adventure didn't end there...a few of us ended up at Buckhorn Pub in Baldy Village for drinks and lunch...eh, we'll try something else next time. This pace includes all stopped time. Moving pace was about 26 mins per mile. Tough slog up to the peak.

Park at Frenchman’s Camp. 1 1/2 mile walk on old Hwy 99 brings you to trailhead. Meandering uphill climb to Slide Mountain lookout. Catch the spur trail to the manicured helipad and more views to the south, including Lake Piru. Hike up shows great views of Pyramid Lake. Hike down sees Lake Piru shimmering in the distance. Just below the lookout find the spur trail that leads to Dome Mountain. Blink and you’ll miss it. We did our hike in mid November, beautiful sun drenched sky, though a bit windy. Cool temps made layering a must. Thanks to Steve and Santa Clarita Community Hiking Club for organizing.