Timber Mountain (Snow Hike)

Trail: Timber Mountain via Icehouse Canyon

Miles: 7.6

Type: Out and Back

My Time: 3.75 Hours

Elevation Gain/Loss: 3294 ft.

Difficulty: Hard

Parking Permit: Yes (Adventure Pass or America the Beautiful Pass)

Location: Angeles National Forest

If you are local to Southern California and you love to hike, I am sure you are familiar with the Angeles National Forest. Plenty of awesome hikes to do in this forest. One of the most popular trailheads near Mount Baldy, Ice House Canyon Trailhead. Now this trailhead is extremely busy year round. It brings a ton of snow loving hikers and your every day summer hiker. All just depends on what you are in to and what time of year it is. Right after a snowstorm there is always a ton of people trying to find a place to sled or play in the snow. Which I completely understand, but it is a bummer the parking lot fills up for the hikers quickly. Sometimes we are forced to park up the road a little bit and put in a few extra yards. Haha!

One of the coolest things about this trailhead is the options! There are many different peaks you can reach and a variety of options for all hikers. You can hike to Cucamonga Peak, Ontario peak, Timber Mountain, Three T’s Loop, or just to the Saddle…and many more combinations.

As you go through the canyon for the first mile, it is awesome to see all the snow covered rocks and trees next to the running water in the creek. The creek is so soothing, especially as I was the only one on the trail this early in the morning. It was pure bliss.

I have been on the Icehouse Canyon Trail a few times, but today was my first time hiking up to Timber Mountain. In addition the trail was completely covered in snow from start to finish! This hike is no joke. You will gain roughly 3200 feet of elevation in less than 4 miles. And when the trail has snow and ice on it, it makes it a bit more difficult. Every step you lose a little bit of ground because you sink into the snow. If you were familiar with snow hiking then you understand how it is a little more difficult than dry hiking. Extra effort to pick up your feet and the loss of forward progress can take its toll. I will say the only exception to the snow being more difficult for today, was this specific trail has a ton of little rocks all over the trail. So while you’re in the canyon part of the trail, it being covered with snow made it much easier to maneuver and keep a good pace. The snow covered up all the rocks, so you don’t have to worry about rolling your ankle or exactly where you should place your foot. The snow was mostly flat. As long as you have your spikes, you should be able to move as if it’s flat ground.

Once you start the steady incline towards the saddle, you then become exposed to a few steep areas. These areas could be at risk for avalanche or slipping down the side. Make sure you check the conditions in order to stay safe. Always pay attention to how the snow conditions are for the day AND what’s the projection of conditions. Note if it is high for avalanche conditions or not. I also recommend going EARLY in the morning because as the sun comes up. It starts hitting the snow which softens the snow and can make the snow conditions more likely for an avalanche. There were a couple spots I encountered today that were soft and had a ton of ice which had slid down the mountain and accumulated on the trail. So just be careful while you are out there.

I finally reached the saddle! It was really cool to see the snow had accumulated up to the trail map. Usually you can walk up and use the map to see where you are but this time it was down at level with the “snow ground”. This meant you could technically walk right over it.

From here I headed straight up towards Timber Mountain. There was a distinguished path from previous hikers the day before. I followed this trail because it seemed safe from the hikers who already went up it. The only bad part was the trail these hikers had chosen, went straight up the mountain. No switchbacks, just straight up the damn mountain. This is not the one listed on AllTrails. You can see this trail on the app, but it is not the suggested route. In a little less than a half mile, you will gain about 700 feet of elevation. This alone is challenging and THEN add snow to it, I was dying. Haha. But when I finally reached the summit, I was relieved. Felt great to conquer this hike for the first time in these awesome snowy conditions! A little to the left, an unobstructed view of Mount Baldy. If you look closely you could see the trail hikers have been taking up Baldy Bowl…looks gnarly. It was rad seeing all of the untouched snow up here. This was a hike I will never forget. I highly recommend you conquer it if you’re looking for a new challenge. (Pending the snow conditions allow for a safe day of hiking.)

Overall at least check out the Ice House Canyon Trail up to the Saddle in the winter. The trail is pretty all times of the year. But the snow was just the cherry on top! Make sure you have your micro spikes/crampons and your trekking poles. And of course check the weather and avalanche reports before you go. If you do feel unsafe or see anything out of the ordinary, it is always better to turn around and be safe rather than going forward and risking it.

As always pack it in and pack it out!

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