May 20, 2018 — This loop was one hell of a beautiful, long day. I've known about the Three Tees (Timber, Telegraph, Thunder) for a long time, but I never committed to doing them because I didn't want to descend the annoying ski roads to get back, so after some map-staring and motivation, I planned a loop that would continue from the Three Tees along the ridgeline to form a traverse, hitting Timber Mountian, Telegraph Peak, Thunder Mountain, Mt. Harwood, and finally, Mt. San Antonio (Old Baldy). Originally, I intended to take the standard route down from Mt. San Antonio, which I did a few years ago, and hitch a ride to the Ice House Canyon Trailhead (where I parked). However, I hadn't realized there is a trail known as the Old Baldy Trail that continues down to the town of Mt. Baldy, at the Visitor Center, which would take me much closer to my car, and also provide a ridgeline route down from the summit I had never done before. I learned of this trail at the summit when I saw a sign reading "Mt. Baldy Town 6.5 miles". I am so glad I went this way, because it had the best views of the day.
The entire route follows maintained trails, starting up the Ice House Canyon Trail. There are likely going to be a ton of people on this trail because it goes up to the more popular Cucamonga Peak, but from the Ice House Saddle through Thunder Mountain, I didn't see anyone, and this was a weekend. Anyway, from the Ice House Saddle, head up to Pine Mountain, where a sign points you to leave the main trail to hit the summit. Next is Thunder Peak, which has much nicer views and looks out toward Mt. Baldy's Devil's Backbone, the route still to come. Hit Thunder Mountain, an easy hump, and then find the very popular Devil's Backbone Trail to the summit of Mt. San Antonio, making a quick side trip to Mt. Harwood, a bald and beautiful sub-peak. Enjoy the views and the company of people before heading down the Old Baldy Trail, following a series of really interesting trail construction choices along the ridgeline and down to the town of Mt. Baldy. Hike a bit under two miles back to the trailhead. Nobody picked me up when I tried hitching. :(
Please consider helping me out if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all site fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing these trip reports is unpaid. You can also hire me as a web developer. I really appreciate it!
If you find my site helpful, please help me replace my many broken cameras, fund my website fees (hosting, APIs, security), or just support my countless hours of work. I pay for all expenses myself, and all trip reports I post are unpaid and unsponsored, so any support is really appreciated!
If using PayPal, please select their option for "Sending to a friend" so they don't take out fees, thank you.
My site is free to use, but consider sending me a few bucks to help keep it running. Thanks in advance!