Hike 2013.032 -- Icehouse Canyon to Icehouse Saddle

Hiked Thursday, June 6. Turns out this one won't take long to write, because I have no pictures. Forgot to reinsert my SD card. Grrrr.

Got off a bit early from work today, so I knew I wanted to hike. I calculated that I might have enough time to hike up to Icehouse Saddle. Looks like the last time I was in Icehouse Canyon was in September 2010. I did a lot of hikes up this canyon in 2010, because it's the access point to a lot of peaks I wanted to hit that first year. You need to go up Icehouse Canyon if you want to get to Timber Mountain, or Telegraph Peak, or Cucamonga Peak or Ontario Peak, or if you just want to make a loop with the Chapman Trail.

The trail seemed steeper than I remembered it. Also, it seemed a lot greener. I'm not sure when the area burned, but many blackened trunks still stand. I think it's a combination of a few more years of growth added to the trees that survived, plus the fact that many of the blackened snags have fallen. Also, a LOT of the downed timber in the lower stretches of Icehouse Canyon has been hauled out, at least some of which was for firewood.

The net effect is that the forest looks healthier and the river at the canyon bottom looks much more picturesque. Of course, *I* could not take any pictures, since I forgot my freaking SD card.

The columbine are still thick near the lower stretches, where a spring of water crosses the trail. And there are still LOTS of lizards. Most looked like western fence lizards, and many were missing tails. Something is definitely likes to eat them, and many that have survived had close calls with death.

Anyway, I still have three hikes to blog: One from the Mojave Preserve, one really magical hike in Griffith Park last Saturday, and a very nice hike to Echo Mountain on Monday. I'll do my best to get those blogged while the latter two are, at least, someone timely.