Up beyond Upland

After I took a hiking class through the city of Irvine recreation program, I started getting into hiking in a big way, and I’ve been trekking up to Cucamonga Peak pretty regularly since 1997.

The hike is great. You start out walking along a beautiful stream, surrounded by leafy trees. The last time we were there, they were turning colors. As you climb higher up a narrow canyon, you come upon tall pines, and the vistas start opening up.

After about 3 1/2 miles, you reach the Icehouse saddle. It’s kind of an intersection where several paths lead to different peaks, and it’s also a nice stopping point because you’re more than halfway there. You feel like you can kick back a bit. Usually there are several people you can chat with before everyone goes off in one direction or another. You can go to one of the three Ts -- Timber, Telegraph or Thunder mountains -- or take a hard right and go to Ontario Peak. The route straight ahead leads to Cucamonga Peak.

From the saddle, it’s all tall pines, and you descend for a while. You pass by abandoned mine shafts before coming upon some beautiful mountain scenery. About a mile past the saddle, you start switchbacking rather steeply, and this part is the hardest. You gain about a thousand feet in the last mile or so.

At the top of Cucamonga Peak, you have a wonderful view of the communities below. You can see Claremont, Ontario, all the way back to Saddleback. If it’s a clear day -- which doesn’t happen that often -- you can see Catalina Island. You have about a 180-degree vista, a fabulous view.

The particulars

Where: Cucamonga Peak is about eight miles north of Upland and about 43 miles from Los Angeles.

What: A 12-mile round-trip hike from Icehouse Canyon to Cucamonga Peak, with a total elevation gain of almost 3,900 feet. The best time for the hike, which takes six to seven hours, is from May to mid-November.

How: From the 10 freeway, take Mountain Avenue north to Mt. Baldy Road. Travel about 9 1/2 miles through Baldy Village until the road forks, and veer right toward Icehouse Canyon. Go a short distance, then park in the lot on the left. The trail head starts at the end of the road. Roads are paved, but chains may be required in winter.

A National Forest Adventure Pass is required for each vehicle parked at the trail head. Fees are $5 a day or $30 for an annual pass; passes can be obtained from the ranger station in Baldy Village and from local merchants. To check on access and conditions, call the San Bernardino National Forest information line, (909) 383-5588.

Back story: The name “Cucamonga” may have been derived from the Shoshonean Indian word for “sandy place.” Cucamonga Peak, at 8,859 feet, is one of several lesser peaks connected by pine-clad ridges to Mt. Baldy, the highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains. As late as 1886, the range was referred to as the “Sierra Madre” in the Los Angeles Times, but the U.S. Board on Geographic Names decreed in 1927 that the mountains would be known as the “San Gabriels.”