Mountaineering Cucamonga Peak: Ice, Wind, Snow, Redemption!
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2022
- Cucamonga Peak is a classic southern California hike, but in the winter months the trail transforms into a challenging mountaineering route. Fierce wind, steep icy drop-offs and an even steeper climb to the summit make this a winter mountaineering adventure worthy of more than a couple celebratory summit snacks.
DISCLAIMER: The hike to Cucamonga Peak in winter is drastically different than the summer climb. We do not recommend attempting this route without proper mountaineering experience, safety gear, and experience with route-finding. As always, hike at your own risk.
#mountaineering #winterhiking #hiking 
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I like the attitude that these two couple are bringing two RUclips videos....
👟👟🥾🥾🥾🥾🥾🤘🤘🏆 you 2 rock
Thank you very much -- we really appreciate that kind of support after what's been a long, hard week for both of us at work! ❤️
You guys are amazing. We made to ice houre and turned back. The wind and clouds came in that made it just WOW. We turned back because one of us did not bring an ice pick and crampons. Im so glad that we turned back when we did after watching this.
Good for you guys! Turning back can be a really hard thing to do emotionally, but without crampons and axe you definitely did the right thing. There are a few long run-outs where a slip and fall could be fatal. We've turned around on this hike before ourselves. Plus even just the hike up icehouse is beautiful in and of itself, and this gives you a great reason to go back when everyone is geared up! ❤️
Cucamonga Peak is located on the eastern front range of the San Gabriels Range.
The round trip is roughly 14 miles long with an elevation gain of 4,300 feet & at the mid way point the trail has a 66° grade. To give you a sense of scale Mt. Whitney has a 70° grade.
During the winter months the trail is very icy & dangerous. The wind is relentless, if you don’t treat you skin & eyes with reverence you can easily leave the mountain with a severe case of windburn. The sun sets somewhere north of 5:30pm, meaning you have about 10 hours of daylight to complete your hike or risk serious injuries.
Last December, on four separate occasions, the Fontana Sheriff's Aviation team had to rescue missing hikers.
Adam & Elise have come very well prepared with ice axes, trail crampons & a heavy dose of good judgment.
The beginning of the hike seems innocuous enough, Elise’s vocals in the background, I’m enjoying the scenery & thinking it’ll be an easy day. But I was wrong, things have turned for the worse. They’re hiking up some extremely sketchy, snow covered terrain. They’ve also made the choice of heading straight up the side of the mountain and there to greet them are severe winds that want to push them down a gully for the Sheriffs to rescue.
However, today Mother Nature will not deny them summit. She will allow these two superb athletes to stand tall and proud on her crest.
On their decent they loose the trail but, having experience & skill as a guide they find it soon enough.
It’s been said that luck is found at the intersection of preparation & opportunity. Adam & Elise are always prepared for most eventualities and take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself.
Frans! We love this, and it's truly remarkable how often you hit upon a theme that we've been thinking about lately. This whole winter our mantra has been preparation and opportunity. We've been practicing and preparing ourselves for when we can get the right opportunity to attempt some of the big peaks we've had our eyes on for years. ❤️
Wow! You two are amaze balls!!!! We love following your adventures but always pray for your safety. More new songs too from Elise’s magical pipes.
Thank you -- we are definitely training hard on our mountaineering skills to increase safety margin as much as possible for some challenging climbs we have coming up. Meanwhile, we'll have another new song on the way next week! ❤️
"I really feel like, coming up that steep ridge in the wind, I've earned this poptart" - Spoken like a true champ 😂
Glad you two made it safe and sound. Great hike A&E!
Haha yes Donaldo! If I don't think the hike is going to be hard enough, I don't even bring the Pop Tarts -- those are the big guns!! --A
DONALD I LIKE YOURE VIBES
This one was brutal, guys! But second time's the charm, eh?. Congratulations and thank you so much for taking me along!
Second time was def the charm, Steven. We really learned from last year that we needed to wait for the snow to consolidate after the big storm, and being patient paid off. The wind was rough, but a small price to pay for Cucamonga redemption! ❤️
STEEVEN YO ITS THOMAS
WHERE R U LOCATED WE SHOULD HIKE TOGETHER
Love the winter hikes and I adore the original song!
Kaitlin that makes us so happy to hear! We're going to put out some of the music on Band Camp soon, and more winter hikes will definitely be coming before spring! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Fantastic!
What an incredible hike! I've spent time in Rancho Cucamonga!
Hope you got a chance to climb this when you were there -- it's got an amazing view of the city below! ❤️
WOW Those San Gabriela can be so Dangerous. I have hiked Cucamonga Peak many times in the summer. So easy and fun then. Great Video Thanks!
Thanks Bill! Yes we love Cucamonga Peak in the summer too, and have always wanted to try it in the winter but sometimes it is just too dangerous with the avalanche danger. But the last few snowless weeks let the snow consolidate and we seized the opportunity. So glad we did -- it was gorgeous! ❤️
wow that snack spot! great job you guys...I'm happy to watch this one from the comfort of my cozy couch haha...and not in that extreme wind!
Haha thanks Carolyn, the wind was the roughest part of the whole thing by far. But SO worth it for the epic snack spot!! With that said though, there was definitely a point about 2/3 of the way up the final ridge when our faces were frozen that we were kinda longing for a cozy couch 😂
Your snack spot gave me the willies. All I could think of was crampons on slick granite (yikes!)
Haha ya Adam almost removed the crampons to climb up there, but he wanted that crampon dangle shot! Crampons actually aren't so bad on rock as long as there are a few edges, but as you say when it's smooth they are terrible!
AMAZING AMAZING!! Beautiful scenery 🌞 thankYOU again for sharing your awesome hikes. You guys are so kickass 💪😁
Thank you -- that made us feel stoked to get back out there just reading it!! Really appreciate the support and motivation. ❤️
oh I got on this one late....sorry ;). Epic!! I do remember the last time. I am still amazed how this is just outside of L.A.! You guys have access to high mountains and desert within a few hours drive!! Awesome!
So true, Michael. We're pretty sure there's nowhere in the world that has as much varied terrain as California -- huge mountains, crazy deserts, massive forests, beautiful beaches...it's pretty much heaven for outdoors-people! ❤️
Ohhh my, so many rescues up there.
Thank you so much for stressing proper equipment and judgement!
I work in the Ed center at Baldy……there are so many distressing stories around falls, getting lost, slipping etc……
Thank you for taking us there!!!
Thanks Susan -- that's so cool you work at Baldy! We really love that area, but it truly is distressing how many people have been getting hurt and even killed the last few years. It can be so tricky, because sometimes like this weekend it looks so mild and snowless when you start the hike that people are probably tempted to leave their mountaineering gear behind, and then by the time they get up to where they need it they don't want to turn around. We were super happy to see that SAR was out and giving information to people at the very beginning of the hike last weekend. Hopefully that will cut down on the injuries! ❤️
Thank you.
You should also check out the Lytle Creek area out the back there. It is just as majestic, historic, and rugged.
Happy adventures.
It looks like you came up Ice House Canyon?
You probably have already explored all that area coming from the south, or desert side/Lytle Creek, Wright wood….side.
@@susanmumper8334 Thanks Susan, we will for sure!
@@susanmumper8334 Yes we came Ice House side, but it's been really interesting getting suggestions about coming other ways -- we're really looking forward to exploring more up there!
Holy moly, this one looked rough! It looked beautiful though. Thanks for capturing this gorgeous scenery!
It really was beautiful, Dalia! It was a hard climb, but wouldn't have been too bad if it wasn't for that crazy wind. The wind made that last ridge feel like we were climbing K2 or something! It almost blew both of us over a couple times. But even still, it was a lovely winter hike. ❤️
You guys!! Your determination is non-stoppable! I loved this hike for two reasons; you didn’t consider backing down and you work as a team to accomplish your goals! Way to go!
Thanks so much, Elle! We both love this comment because it really encapsulates what we want to be as a couple -- persevering and team oriented! ❤️
OMG what an adventure..
It really was a fun one, and so satisfying after getting turned around by the avalanche danger last year! ❤️
Continued health and wellness and as always happy trails 👍❤️
You too, Clay! So far our winter training is going well, with some pretty epic adventures on tap for the coming months! ❤️
I love your music that you work into the videos.
Thanks Roger, that is great to hear! We've been really working hard on the music lately, and it's very encouraging to know you enjoy it! ❤️
Beautiful mountains.
Beautiful video.
Thank you so much! We're really happy and proud that you enjoyed it!! ❤️
You literally 'blew' through this challenge- kudos! Very deceptive landscape as it looks soooo serene! Keep it up guys and stay safe.
Haha and it blew through us, too! It was really funny, Michael, because it really was a lovely serene day on our way up and then suddenly the wind picked up and we were on the ridge and we felt like we were climbing K2 or something! But we def stayed safe the whole way, and are looking forward to some more mountaineering this winter!❤️
WOW MICHAEL GOOD SHIT
Shoulda brought skis n skiied down...that looks so cold..anothet location i nevr knew of...n no one else there...incredible views...thx 4 posting
Haha don't tempt us! We are definitely moving in the direction of some ski mountaineering, but taking our time with it mostly because of avalanche danger. But as we get more experience in the winter mountains, we are most definitely going to start skiing up and down some of them!! ❤️
Fun fun fun. This is awesomely awesome
I am proud of these two. I don't see to many get after it consistently across the whole area. I would love to see the Trifecta video. Santa Monica to Venice and back. Baldwin Hill. Getty (for lunch) Vasquez Rocks. You can finish at the James Dean head at Griffith. Weekends you can't even get up there traffic is terrible on nice days.
Red Rock SP is not exactly a sweet spot but it is scenic for video. The Lava runs along 395/14/58/that way. Backside canyon is good backdrop. AND YOU CAN COMBINE IT WITH OWENS PEAK//WALKER PASS/KIAVAH WILDERNESS. 😆 Bam.
Olancha day 2.
These are great ideas, Dan! And an LA marathon like that will def have to happen at some point. ❤️
Oh my you guys are so brave💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓
Aw thanks! We've been practicing a lot so it felt like it was finally the right time to give this one a go :)
Great videos of your adventures. I enjoy watching your videos. I also climb mountains myself. I live in the Netherlands where we have no mountains so every year I travel to Austria for the mountains
Thank you very much, Dennis. We're delighted you're enjoying the videos. We've heard the climbing in Austria is wonderful, and would like to go climbing there as well. Perhaps one day we will see you in the Dachstein mountains! ❤️
Showed up to get my mind blown.......You guys DID NOT disappoint. Holy H*ll people!
Adam: "There've been a ton of rescues in this area over the last few weeks...."
Also Adam: "So I've brought my *FSA pop tarts"
*FSA = Full Speed Ahead
Awesome video Adam and Elise. Absolutely awesome!
Haha Todd I always look forward to your comments, and they also do not disappoint! This one definitely required the FSA pop tarts. Was really glad I'd pounded those things when we got lost on the way back -- no one wants to be hangry when climbing sketchy cliffs in crampons! --A
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Adam, as 2022 unfolds, I want to tell you guys how much I love what you've done with the channel. The progression in style, content, editing, music, fitness level, and year-round location variety is just flat out fantastic. You've gone from "hey, here's a place we hiked" to literally creating your own genera here on the Tube, and no one, not even Mediacre Amateur has it. Although don't get me wrong; Danny's channel is fantastic, and his adventures are par-none.
What you and Elise have here, is very special, very fun, and very unique. You do it all yourselves, at a level that's spectacular, and yet doesn't require $10k in color matched and branded equipment per episode. It's packaged in humor, love, a bit of insanity, a ton of musical and singing talent, and bolstered with a level of fitness that few people can even imagine, let alone have the dedication to attain....and then maintain.
Cheers to you both!
@@austinado16 Todd thanks so much for those kind words. E is asleep already after a hard day at work, but I'll make sure she reads this tomorrow -- it will be just what she needs to hear after a very long work week!
@@austinado16 Woke up to this comment, Todd and Adam is right, this made my entire week! We were just saying yesterday how amazing it is that we’ve already built such an incredible community of people, and support like this really keeps us going. Thanks for the never ending inspiration you provide Todd!!
Awesome!! You both Rock! 👍🏼
Thanks so much Aaron! So happy to finally have summitted winter Cucamonga!
Wow, must have been so improving on the legs!!! But what an amazing scenery.... Your are Pros ✌️🤗
Serge you are absolutely right. Our legs were sore for two straight days after!! But it was so worth it for the gorgeous views in all that glistening snow! ❤️
Awesome video and great that you once again persevered through a tough hike!! Thanks so much for bringing us along!!
It's really our pleasure, Dan. Glad we could get some mountaineering practice in before trying some bigger peaks as we get closer to spring! ❤️
Wow! Thanks for sharing as always 😊
Our pleasure, Mugdha! Very glad you enjoyed it -- we had a great time up there despite that crazy wind! ❤️
Talk about déjà vu, I’m living the dream out here too. And the wind is definitely the worst of it. Check out the low dagger position using your ice axes, that should help.
Thanks much, Karl. You always have great advice! And ya, the winds this year have been nuts. ❤️
Amazing adventure! Glad you guys made it back safely!
Thanks Sarah! We really took out time to figure out the off-trail sketchy parts, and very glad we did because it definitely helped us get back safely. ❤️
Amazing video!!!!! thank you ! Stay safe!!!
Thanks Dulce! It was really beautiful up there -- but just SO cold in the wind! We promise to stay safe -- doing lots of work on our winter safety skills just in case anything ever goes wrong. ❤️
I am cold just watching! As always, great work you two with preserving through :)
Love the song Elise!
So happy you like the song Jared! It's my new fave because it's a family collab with Adam on lyrics and my dad on the keys. And yeah, this was freaking COLD! Funny because if not for the wind it would have been luxurious out that day, but why not throw in some gale force wind just for kicks eh?
Brutal and beautiful at the same time…The snack spot was bang on!!! We love seeing Adam hunting for the most adventurous and scary snack spots but with the best views of the valleys. Keep it up!! Hope you guys made it back safe and sound.
Thanks Samridhi! Very glad you guys enjoy the snack spot hunts -- I take great pleasure in those, and was particularly proud of this one because the view was just nuts! --A
so stunning! love it, thanks guys, hope you's are well!
Thanks Carl! We're doing great, and of course loving winter in SoCal as always. Hope you're well too! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard its beautiful! Im doing good thank you, planning for more adventures this year
My favorite video yet. Little more technical and you two handled it well. Thanks for sharing another nice adventure.
Thanks Steve! Very glad you enjoyed. Hopefully we'll have two or three other winter mountaineering adventures in the coming months as well!
wow!! like Adam said glad you guys made it safe, that was a bad ass adventure .the wind made me shiver in my home lol
Haha the wind was by far the worst part, Lawrence! Our gear was perfect for the snow conditions, and without the wind it would have been basically a beautiful hike with a few challenging traverses. But with the wind it sometimes felt like we were climbing Everest or something! But still, totally worth it. ❤️
Wow!! I live at the base of Cucamonga Peak and super terrified to go up there in the winter. Now I know why. LOL. Awesome job you guys!
Haha wow CeeCee what a beautiful place to live!!! You are right to be scared of it in winter because it is just so, so steep. Not sure if you ever use crampons and ice axe, but those two instruments make it way safer, and if winter mountaineering intrigues you Cucamonga would be a great place to practice! ❤️
Good job you guys; that is always a dicy section in the winter time; we have done that one before and had the same thing happen; got off trail. Nice recovery you two!! Love ur videos; Blessings!!
Thanks very much, Mark, it's good to hear that. It was really confusing, and there were different footprints going different ways and none of them seemed to have a clue! We finally just made our own way, and it was a good experience in winter route-finding. So glad you're enjoying the vids, and blessings to you too!
Thumbs up! Great hike, amzing video ... as always.
Thank you so much Lothar! It was definitely fun finally getting that redemption on Cucamonga!
at 13:51...I needed that smile from Adam, I've never seen him look so concerned...
Haha you're not wrong, Bill. I know it doesn't look that steep on camera, but there were definitely points on this thing where slipping and sliding meant doom! I'm not afraid of heights in general, but ice is a whole other story! -- A
@@LiveHardxLoveHard you are my man crush bro, keep after it
Second times the charm! You guys never give up. I’m so glad you could reach the top of this elusive peak this time! The scenes were just stunning with all of the white snow, blue sky and sunshine! Love you both ❤️❤️❤️
Love you Arielle! We were so sore after hiking that far with packs and crampons, so now we're just chilling and strolling down to the beach. It's 80 degrees out -- love SoCal, and wish you were here to beach it up with us!!! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard enjoy!!!! I wish this too ☀️☀️☀️☀️
Beautiful views! Really neat place with good visibility on the day you went. Love Adam’s choice of snack spots too! Totally worth it 🙂
Yeah, I always grumble a bit about Adam's sketch-looking snack spots, but in the end I'm always happy I wiggle my way out there because I must admit he does have an excellent eye for these things 😂 Glad you enjoyed this one Arun! -E
Thank you for sharing another great adventure! Looked to be a very tough hike but so rewarding, those are some of the most memorable.
Totally agree, Jason. We weren't that happy about all that crazy wind at the time (or getting lost on the return loop), but in retrospect those were a big part of what made it so memorable! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Totally agree on wind.
Awesome as always, take care guys.
Thanks very much -- just getting our winter mountaineering skills tuned up for some bigger peaks coming up in a couple months! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard cool, I cant wait to see the those videos!
I am glad you made it back safely as that looked a bit windy and way to snowy for me but it looked awesome at the top
Thanks Rick -- ya the wind was the worst part by far. It nearly blew us over sideways a few times. But so, so worth it to get to the top. Just a gorgeous view, and really a gorgeous hike the whole way with the glistening snow! ❤️
Another great and scary hike. I am definitely more of a warm weather hiker, but I live vicariously through your vids. 😀 Just glad you made it down safely!!
Haha thanks Mark! We def started out as warm weather hikers too, but once we figured out we could get these crazy beautiful places all to ourselves just by dealing with some cold and snow and ice, we were like "sign us up!" But with that said, we won't be disappointed when summer weather comes back! ❤️
Having those locations to yourself is definitely a plus! I might have to rethink and just bundle up.
Great job 💪😉
Thanks Maria!! We've really wanted this one ever since getting turned around last year by avalanche danger, and it felt very sweet!❤️
Wow! This is so amazing because just yesterday I was in Icehouse Canyon doing a short run up and down Chapman trail. Then I come home and see your video posted! 20 years ago I hiked to Cucamonga Peak, and still remember how tired I was getting up the last mile or so, with all the steepness and false summits. And that was in summer. I love the SoCal mountains, they are deceptively difficult and extreme, and getting off-route, winter or summer, can be potentially life-threatening. I was actually scared during parts of the video as you guys were coming down, remembering similar experiences I've had up there, and I could really relate to the exhaustion! We are so lucky to have these mountains right in our own backyard. Thank you for all the adventures you have shared with us in that area! I love the new music too, especially the piano part. Who composed that? Keep it up, I watch all your videos and enjoy every one!
That's so cool you were just there, David! We LOVE hiking and trail running that area too! And you're right -- getting off-trail can be really dangerous there. But we've done enough adventures there now that we know to just be patient, explore for the right lines, and even backtrack when necessary. Stoked you like the new music -- that's Elise's dad on the piano! We're trying to get him more involved in the music because he's really talented -- and we're also trying to get E's mom to chip in on her violin!
@@LiveHardxLoveHard that would be really awesome. I love the violin! Some of my best adventures have been off trail too. Not always by choice! Now I can’t wait to do the Cucamonga Peak hike again. Cheers!
Such an awesome journey guys 🤙
Thanks so much! It was really a sweet redemption after getting turned around by the deep, avalanche-looking snow last time!!
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Glad it worked out so well this time around looking forward to the next one 🤙
tuned in for the snack spot and i was not disappointed!!!! as i currently eat a strawberry pop tart!!!! lol- all seriousness, this looks ridiculously hard - kudos to you guys- take a break after this one! Thanks for bringing us along though through these adventures :)
Haha yes!!! I feel like we're really building a whole snack spot community on this channel. It's honestly so fun to share the silly parts with you guys in addition to the hard parts -- finding snack spots and climbing dicey inclines have always been my two favorite things on hikes, and it's so great to find people who share that mentality. Very glad you liked it! --A
Oh that looks like fun... sketchy adds to the adventure imo. I see why you needed crampons and an ice axe, one slip and your gone without them. Enjoyed the vid, always nice to see different content.
Thanks Andrew -- Adam totally agrees with you. He's okay with hikes that are only beautiful, but once you add some sketchiness his eyes light up and he gets really excited! Glad the steepness came through at least somewhat on camera -- a lot of times our cameras flatten things out, but in person it was hellaciously steep, and there were definitely places where without an ice axe there'd be no hope of stopping a slide!
Fantastic !! :-)
Thanks Petr! So fun to break out our mountaineering skills!❤️
Holy sketchballs!!! Glad you made it back safely : )
Haha thanks Levi! Ya we really promised ourselves going in that we'd just take our time and make sure we stayed safe, and we stuck to that even when we got lost. We just stopped and explored until we found a safe way out of that sketchy part, and it all worked out great! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard I'm glad you had a good plan and stuck to it.
I just laughed after the Sunshine super hike on coast watching this again.
Moving to Washington in 20 days. Issaquah. Bam. Be back in California June Redwoods Crescent City. Then Olympic and Glacier except driving over through Canada.
Wow Dan that is a fantastic summer you have planned! We really wanna do Olympic too, and LOVE Glacier. Good for you -- living life to the fullest! ❤
You both did well!
Thanks very much, Van! We were definitely glad to get this one after having to turn around last year. ❤️
Again a totally new area for me, it's great to see new spots with you guys. Adam said "Dicey and Sketchy" in the first 2 minutes....YIKES! E, you really need to release some music I would so love to have this music on my playlist! Another wonderful video you two!
Haha! We've gotta come up with some new words to describe dicey in all kinds of different ways 😂 And I know I need to get on it with the music Bill. I've been pretty confused about what platform to use aside from just the videos we have on our Patreon, but I need to just take a day and sit down and figure it all out. Thanks for giving me the motivation to get it done! -E
@@LiveHardxLoveHard I know I'm not alone in wanting your music, it's so beautiful
Wow guys what an amazing challenge and awesome views snow cones for everybody 🥶♥️u guys
Raymond! Have you done this one? It's really cool in winter, and honestly not that bad if you wear crampons. ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard not in the snow looks so refreshing compared to the dread it warm days ♥️
I just started watching all of your guises videos who sings in your videos whoever it is it’s got a beautiful voice and I love to watch your videos thank you guys both
Aw thanks so much Cynthia! We’re so happy you came across the channel and hope you’re enjoying the vids. We create all of our own music for the channel, so anytime you hear vocals that’s Elise singing. ❤️❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard well she has the voice of an Angel!!! Again Thankyou for your amazing videos!!! I’ve always been terrified of heights!!!! So you can imagine I’m on the edge of my seat in your watching your amazing videos
Back in my bailiwick, guys! I LOVE this area! Never done it in winter, though ! Good On you! Terrific job, you two! And Elise: lovely, lovely music! If you haven’t recorded a CD of it, you should! Thanks again for bringing this adventure to my home!
Thanks Michael! Love hiking this area, and so happy you like the new music! We're still working on getting final versions of these songs, hopefully with some sax, trumpet, guitar, and maybe violin on some of them. Once we get all that settled, we'll def master some of them for download/CD! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Good news re: music! Personal advice from my composer side… don’t over-arrange your music. What makes it so haunting is the sparse, spare use of accompaniment… just you and minimal harmonic accompaniment! Your voice alone with that accompaniment best conveys your message-at least to me.
Really, though, take this admonition or leave it! You certainly have your vision; just follow that and brush aside any advise that goes against it!
Fond best wishes and continued success-both in mountaineering AND in music!
Michael
@@rmac1042 That is great advice, Michael. Thank you!! ❤
Amazing nice video
Thank you so much! Cucamonga in the winter is a real beauty :D
You guys inspired me to go explore more 🤟👍👍💯
Omygoodness y’all keep me on my toes
Haha that's how we like you, John -- just a little nervous!! 😂❤️❤️
You guys are amazing. Talk about perseverance, you both literally define it. When is Mt Everest scheduled???!!
Haha it's so funny you say that because we just finished watching 14 Peaks, and were thinking we'd like to try some of the really high mountains at some point (but not until we early retire and live at altitude so we'll already be at least somewhat pre-acclimated!). ❤️
wow that was quite a slog
bravo for getting to the top
Thank you very much! We were feeling so strong and confident until that crazy wind started battering us, and then it was def a bit of a slog. But it just made reaching the top feel all the better! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard you'll be better climbers for the experience
you'll have the knowledge that you can deal with adverse conditions
like money in the bank, you'll have cash reserves when you need it
You guys are awesome. Last year, I tried hiking up Cucamonga in the snow ❄ solo, so close but too far with the high winds. Two hikers & I decided to turn around. However, I did return in July 2021 hiking up 2 Peaks Cucamonga and Etiwanda. Feeling excited. Check out Etiwanda Peak beautiful views. I can't wait to return to the 2 Peaks challenge again in July of 2022.
Those winds up there are rough! It's good you turned around if it was that bad. We got close to Etiwanda on this one but didn't get all the way to the peak, will have to go back to check out those summit views! Let us know how your 2 peak challenge goes :D
Got off the trail in the mountains @ Death Valley NP one time and had to pay the price (lots of calories) to get back…🥵 Congratulations accomplishing this hike/climb in the winter 👍🏻
Thanks very much -- you definitely know our pain! Getting off trail is def not fun when the terrain is super sketchy, but it does ultimately give you a lot of confidence to be able to figure out a way back!
I know it might be tough when it's icy but it would be cool to see you guys skiing down the downhill portions
That day is definitely coming! We just need to learn more about avalanche avoidance and avalanche rescue first, because the really cool stuff to ski is always pretty avalanche prone. But it is for sure high up on our list of skills we intend to add to our adventures! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard
Ahh, okay interesting. Well obviously that takes energy and time. Keep up the good work, you guys are super impressive with how hard and long your hikes are :-) !!!
At the Cucamonga Saddle, take Big Horn ridge up to Kelly Camp to Ice House Saddle, same way up to Cucamonga, Winter route. From the Cucamonga Saddle there's another winter route, I'm familiar of a portion of it but not all of it.
Thanks Jason! ❤️
The route on the summit pyramid is a little confusing even without snow (at least I found it so last summer). Kudos to you two for doing it in snow!
Yes Thomas! Where we got really lost was on the traverse over to the second saddle. We ended up basically going up Bighorn Peak on the way over, and then on the way back we followed a trail that initially looked correct but led us hopelessly astray. But in the end, it was still a lot of fun. ❤️
Those mountains literally right out of LA area are no joke. Ask them. Baden Powell. Baldy. Et al. Are for real.
Truth! Especially in the winter!! ❤️
Redeemed! That is such a great feeling. Easy to get off trail, first somebody does it and leaves "ghost tracks", then somebody else, and somebody else, pretty soon it's impossible to know if its the trail or a campsite spur, or a poop spot, or just where they all marched off the edge. Your confidence carries the day. Boo-yah!. I'm a LH2 junkie now, always waiting for the next one. Are you guys doing any through hiking this summer? 5-10 day runs? I think you've found your niche with these day long/overnight adventures though. San Gabe's, bad ass bumps. Nice to see snow on them.
Yes Tim! Totally agree with everything you said. It was just such a mess of different footprints going different ways, and then there were these super steep parts with no snow and no prints, so it got pretty chaotic. But we just stayed confident and figured it out. Very glad you're liking the channel. We might do the Tour du Mont Blanc as a multiple-day trail run this summer -- maybe 4 days or so. But overall, our specialty is definitely the one-day sufferfests. We love being able to give it absolutely everything and then take a day or two to recover after! ❤️
Awesome video (and music)! Nice to see you guys step up to mountaineering. Did you guys consider at some point putting on a climbing harness and tying to each other as precaution?
Great question, Martin. We didn't feel the need for the harnesses on this one, but we have been practicing that technique for a few of the climbs that we hope to do later in the year. We're taking our time learning both climbing and mountaineering skills, but within the next few years we're hoping to try some pretty outrageous stuff if all goes well!
Elevation at the peak? Other than the wind (sounded brutal), it looked like a perfect day! Adam--really?? Music on the way down is new, right?? Very nice. Ok, the tandem smiles at the end were fantastic. Love you guys.
It was just under 9000, Bob, but felt a lot higher with all that crazy wind sucking away our oxygen! Ya the song on the way down is pretty new, and did you hear the new verses on our "All Leaves Fall" collab? Thanks again for those great chords -- we're loving that song! We were thinking you might want to do a sax riff on it too.
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Elise sent the mp3 of leaves fall before she posted the video, so I got a preview. Happy to play--she just has to put up w/my tech deficiencies.
Fun adventure, the snow alway makes everything a lot harder. Some of those cross slope trails were very steep, you guys are far more adventurous than I would be. I learn a lot from your videos, when in doubt take the ridgeline is one of them. You are the ridgeline king and queen. A few details I noticed: 1)Snow can be blinding and although we all know how photogenic Elise's eyes are, she needs some protection. Don't want her snowblind, get that girl some sunglasses. 2)Crampons on the hard rocky point? That made me more nervous than the rest of the video. 3) Either Elise is wearing her headband upside down or I am doing it wrong. I thought those little bumps were for covering ears not your head ;)
Haha, I had to rewatch the video to check out my headband. LOL at how ridiculous I am. My head is abnormally small and so headbands never fit me right, so I often just throw them on and hope for the best. 😂 We do actually wear sunglasses on these snow ascents but have gotten comments in the past that people want to see our eyes, so we will often take them off for the shots if we can remember. I also would like to avoid going snow blind! -E
@@LiveHardxLoveHard FYI, I only have my headband because of your Christmas list, guess what I got for Christmas. I think you are going to be a trend setter, everybody who is cool will be wearing them like that now.
Haha! I love that you got your headband game going based off our list. They are really a life saver, although I'm sure they must work even better when they are worn correctly 😂 😂
Awesome job! That is crazy how neither of you slip down the mountain!
Thanks David! Those crampons were incredibly effective in this terrain. We almost never slipped at all, and the one time Adam did slip and start to slide, he self-arrested with his ice axe within less than a second. Good gear really does make all the difference when it comes to winter hiking! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Adam is amazing and so are you! Being mentally focused during a climb like this must make the reward of getting to the top and then back down that much better! ❤️
@@davidolson558 It definitely does!
Wow! 40 mile winds when you are hiking on the side of the Mountain!! That wind chill must have been cold! There were parts where you walked very slow with the ice pick. How far was this hike? And Adam’s snack spot on the rock what a photo op with that spectacular view!
So how did you guys get lost on the way back? Did you try using the gps on the AllTrails app? It really looked sketchy in spots trying to get back to the trail. Happy that you two made it this time you picked a beautiful day to do this hike too! Great filming once again you guys captured quite the views!!! Have a wonderful weekend and looking forward to your next adventure!!
Peter and Barb
These are great questions, Peter. The hike was about 11 miles, with just over 4000 feet of climbing. And the wind-chill was insane. You might have noticed on that ridge we couldn't talk properly because our faces were so frozen! We got lost because we followed a different trail than we'd taken out that looked like it corresponded to the AllTrails trail (our route out was not the AllTrails). But it didn't, and in fact no one had followed the AllTrails route. So we ended up in no man's land, and then finally headed straight uphill to find the route we'd taken out, which was assisted by the fact that Adam had Gaia tracking our whole route. AllTrails is generally amazing, but it can really lead you astray in the snow because the snow routes are often very different.
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Thanks John! Happy you liked it!!
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So glad you enjoyed! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard lov u guys
Another awesome adventure - glad you made it this time! I absolutely love the challenge of winter peak bagging! Adam, I noticed a couple of times you didn't have any kind of wrist strap on your axe. Do you prefer not having one?
That's a great question, Jeff. Yes, after talking to some more experienced mountaineers I deliberately chose not to use a wrist strap. The thinking is this: if you slip and slide and let go of the axe, it is virtually impossible to regain control of it as you tumble downhill. So you are now tumbling with a lethal object flying around attached to your body. Many people have been impaled this way. So if you do have hold of the axe, you use it to self arrest. If you don't have hold of it, it is better to leave it behind as you tumble.
@@LiveHardxLoveHard A snowy "ledge-trail" about a foot wide on the shady side, gave way on me, one time in early spring -- Mid-March I think.
Next thing i knew I was slide down the steep embankment, along with about 10ft of the "snow trail". I didn't have an ice ax -- but I did have my tripod in hand partially extended.
After sliding about 20-30 ft, in about a second, I managed to jam the tripod legs into the snow layers -- and somehow managed to self arrest.
Pure instinct I think, never had been trained. Talk about dicey, and melty.
I was a newbie to the NW then, and trying to hike out to Spirit Lake (north side) at Mt St Helens. Needless to say, it was a "learning experience", lol.
I always have my tripod on the ready these days, if it's at all steep, or far. That slope was at least 300ft to the bottom. Might have survived it. Depending on what would have broke the fall. Boulders mostly, as I recall. (PS. I continued on, made it to the lake, after shaking off the adrenaline -- got some great log-jam shots.)
Great hike you guys!. Great endurance! That wind is a bear. BRRRR!
Always try to take the same route out. Short-cuts lead to being ledged-up, more times than not, in my experience.
Happy trails. Safety first. (Or at least, somewhere near the top of the list.)
@@JamessTunes That is a fantastic story! That's seriously impressive that you were able to keep hold of the tripod, keep your head, and use it like that. I prepare to do the same thing if I'm on something dicey with poles rather than ice axe. I shorten one of them up and just get ready to use it like you did your tripod if necessary. Also love that you kept going and got good shots!! ❤
This is where MSR LIGHTNING II snowshoes are money. They can roll with you foot. I carry crampons in pack until it gets 60 degrees or going downhill. CRAMPONS are king. Steel 100 dollar ones are tough but heavier. In deeper snow the shoes work way better if snow is not frozen on top. The Whitney chute or this is frozen at 6am. Easy walking if crust supports your weight. Sun wets it during day t freezes at night. Silk baklava is thin enough your head won't sweat to death. Money. Carry sock hat to put over it if below 20 degrees. You want to be able to cover entire body if up high or cold weather.
Oh my, thank you…..
I am fairly convinced that if you two ever film an episode down in the Antarctic in winter, Elise will still be wearing bright-colored leggings... :-)
Hahaha lets hope so, John -- that would be absolutely classic! One great benefit of Elise's "superhero" uniform is that when fans of the channel see us on the trail, they never have any doubt that it's us. So that leads to a lot of fun interactions and conversations!
Guys, I'ma here in flat Florida lol but dang when y'all stood out on the ledge 😲with that high wind 🌬️🌬️, was there a chance a gust could send you over 😬 ... ??
That's actually a really good question, and something we were concerned about. Fortunately, the ledge is a bit wider than it appears on camera so there would actually be room to take a step in either direction for balance if it was needed. But even so, those crazy wind gusts did make all three of the rock outcroppings we climbed feel much dicier!
Love it!❤ Y'all are my favorite RUclips channel! You must give us your gear list for this. Are the crampons microspikes or flexible crampons? If flexible, what boots are they on?
Thanks Russel! So glad to hear that -- it really means a lot to us. The crampons are flexible Black Diamond, and we both wore our Salomon X-Ultra boots. Pretty much a perfect setup for this hike -- comfortable and relatively fast while still safe. You saw the ice axes, and we also brought a rope just in case, but didn't need to use it. And of course we also brought our Garmin mini just in case of emergency.
@livehardxlovehard thanks! We had a little bit of an adventure on the Arkaqua Trail here in north Georgia recently. Had to climb a very steep, icy and snowy section of the trail and made the mistake of not carrying our microspikes. We made it, but wont make that mistake again!
@@adventureswithrussellandan7550 Definitely have been in that same situation -- a scary slip and slide and you only need to learn that lesson once!
This video def had a distinguishably more serious tone as compared to many - lots of variables you had to focus on. Was going down the sunny non-snowy side of the mountain not a logistical option? I did enjoy the music :)
Thanks Christine, and that's a good question! We probably could have done an off trail route up the other side of the mountain, and that actually would be really interesting to try at some point. On this one, though, we really wanted to work on our winter mountaineering skills, because we're hoping to put them to use on a couple of higher and more dangerous mountains in the next few months. The Icehouse route to Cucamonga is a good place to practice because it's steep and icy, but you're not gasping for air 13,000 feet up!
How long did it take you? Another great video. You need more snacks. I would be afraid I would get stranded up there in the cold.
I would say it was about 5 hours to the summit. The filming and wind definitely slowed us down. And yes, you really can never have too many snacks. Well, actually Adam tells me that i over-pack snacks. But I really disagree. I always have nightmares that I'll get stranded without enough!
Do some shorts
People love LA scenes.
Like the palms at Santa Monica where you literally went to exercise, then climbed the rope, My favorite was a guy boxing from a wheelchair, while his friend held the hand pads for him to hit them, only people there for some reason that day. Places like Pier Burger and the 66 sign. I mean the Getty come on. J Paul Getty Home, hardly anybody there on off hours. James Dean's Head up at Griffith. Pinks. Baldwin Hill. It is basically endless. River by Disney thing. And I am not even from there. How do you beat Vasquez Rocks area. Caliente Road, and every other road they have filmed commercials on forever, Boquet Canyon, I love driving from the Keene Cafe to Kernville, then hit 100 Giants, Ceaser Chavez, on that run. I absolutely love 100 Giants, Kern river. Dry are looking east.
I wasn't big on Kennedy Meadows but if Sherman Pass is open ride a bike down that, lol. The river is amazing running through that bottom canyon. Hard trek down to it. Give the fans some shorts. I have been to alot but my wife lived there 40 years and her family 80. So I was amazed by it all. You can't mind driving but generally you can string together a 36 hours trek. And that does'nt include the coast from Cambria to Monterrey, Paso Robles, Naciemento Road is definitely my top three favorite trips out to coast from Tehachipi to James Dean Junction to Hunter Liggot to Coast via Road. Up to Big Sur and Point Lobos MR.
SELL SOMETHING! Drop ship something. We will buy it, the fans, just to fund you to go places. Find some local brands, beware of shipping, you do not get the deals the big boys get, it has to be lightweight. Call a clothing company like North Face model something. You will No a thousand times but it only takes one yes.
Call BackCountry. REI, they are in Lander walk in while out there. Do geo shorts for the nerds, geology, actually holding a piece of basalt or Ryolite. Talis. The fault-lines are all marked, Obsidian Dome, back side in trees is actually a cool place to rest.
Mammoth walk in tell the manager you want to do a short and get free ride to the top.
Burro Schmit, The hike to bottom of crater in death valley filmed from top as you run down or up. Heeggee Beebee or whatever it is called
At least sell a T-shirt, lol. Everybody buys live love laugh why not your logo? I would buy one.
Go to the T-shirt mafia down on Venice lol, - I will make your T-shirt but there may come a day, which may never come, when I will ask a favor..............
I DEMAND SHORTS. AND THEY GO ON TIK TOK, I have heard.
Big Cat thing out of Fresno on the way up to Kings Canyon. yet another.
Ostrich Farm up on backside of Tehachipi. Plenty on both sides of Mojave Preserve. Cima Road exit on way to Vegas, it is a haul out to kelso dunes/station.
ZYZZX, I think that is where the research station is and dry lake palms. Oatman. Boron. Trona-yuk but pinnacles are there.
AND I WORKED AT YOSEMITE YELLOWSTONE ROCKY TETON BLM AZ STRIP and Cali still blew me away more than anyplace. Have you actually slept in at the Amagosa Opera house, I call it the Amagrossa? That is one way into Death Valley. The big cow. Calico Ghost Town. Skyline drive in?
FEED ME SEYMOUR
Haha we've been trying some shorts, Dan, but so far they're not doing that well. But we'll keep experimenting with them for sure. We so appreciate how much you support the channel, and we're def working on making some of the songs downloadable which will be a good way for people to support the adventures! ❤️
@@LiveHardxLoveHard well that shows people want bearded butcher Content. Those dudes are kings of thorough videos.
They got rich on internet sales though. Spent 30 years slaving poor. They quit school at 12 and 14! That sums up formal education. If you can read you are good to go.
How long ago did you guys do this? I love the Cucamonga hike and frequent it in the summer often, but I've been curious what the conditions would be like now after a week of LA heat.
Hey Martin! We actually just did this Saturday. It was pretty cold out there with the wind chill so we didn’t see too much melting happening near the peak, but we were also curious how things would be after this insane heat wave this week!
That decent looked ruff. Kudos to you both. Sometimes you gotta add a little spice in the meatballs!
Haha, you know we like our meatballs extra spicy Brian! Descent was definitely tough but whenever we make it out in reasonable shape we try to view it as a good experience improving our route-finding and technical skills. Just happy we didn't have to scramble on those rocks in our crampons for too long!
I do winter hike in New Hampshire and have stuggled with the cold GoPro and phone issue. My solution: Refletex containers with Hot Hands to keep them warmer. I have a case for my phone and I'm working on one for my Osmo Action Cam. I might even make one with a hole for the lens so I can leave it on my shoulder mount while I'm hiking.
This is GENIUS! Thank you very much for that tip. We are absolutely going to use it on our next mountaineering adventure. ❤️
oh wow, you guys are stepping up your game, just be safe.
one thing whenever you deal with snow, you need sun-glasses, the glare reflection from the is very dangerous for the eyes
think of it like applying magnifying glass to burn a leaf
That is so true! We both actually wear sunglasses a lot of the time, but tend to take them off for the shots. We used to get feedback from some of you that the sunglasses were off-putting at times, so we try to remember that. But yes, we try to avoid going sun blind at all costs.
@@LiveHardxLoveHard cool
great video what kind of glasses does adam have on?
Thanks Richard! Those are vintage Anne Kleins that I've had for over 10 years and somehow not lost or broken (knock on wood!).
Have been debating this winter hike for weeks since it stopped snowing up there! Still seems difficult without crampons and ice axes though :( thanks for taking me up!
We were in the same boat, Albert! We knew not to go right after the snow, because last time we did that it seemed way too avalanche prone. But now the avalanche danger is down but it's pretty darn icy. Crampons and ice axes aren't too expensive, though, and once you have them you can def do this climb without too much fear! ❤️
Im just about convinced 😂 Best place to buy the gear?
@@albertalb5602 We get just about everything at REI. They're so knowledgeable, and take the time to tell you how to put the crampons on properly, etc. REI is basically a second home to us at this point 😂
@@LiveHardxLoveHard I hear that! Just hoped there was an alternative I guess not LOL
I love all of your videos. You guys do a great job. I am an amateur hiker and just got back from Big Bend in Texas. Have you been there? Who is the singer in the songs that accompany many of your videos? Is that Elise singing? Is there a place to buy those songs? Looking forward to next videos and please be safe - you guys make me nervous sometimes!
Thanks so much, Jeff-- that makes us feel very happy to hear! Yes we do all our own music, and that is Elise singing. We haven't put the music up on Soundcloud or Bandcamp yet for download, but we will soon. So glad you like it! Never been to Big Bend, but have heard it's amazing and that Emory Peak is a must-do. Let us know if you there's a hike there (or anywhere) that you think we ought to do!
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Wow - Elise is an amzing singer and the music is great. I tried playing it to Shazam App to identify it, but it was not able to. Now I know why. I will buy it as soon as you put it up - let your viewers know! In Big Bend I think you should do the Emory peak and/or South Rim hike - most challenging but easy for you guys!
@@jeffrenfro9563 Thanks Jeff! We don't mind fairly easy hikes occasionally as long as the views are amazing -- often we will trail run them which is great training for us. Will def let you know about the music!
Hey I have an adventure idea for you. Climbing Cucamonga Peak from
The south side! There are what looks like an array of col’s and gully’s on that side and ridges. There is not much beta but a few people have gone up a steep canyon and then surmounted a ridge to the summit. Maybe the gully could be followed almost all the way to the summit? I have studied this on google maps and wondered. Haven’t heard of anyone actually attempting it. I drove up the 15 today and looked at the escarpment and there seems to be numerous climbing routs to the summit ridge. Could be a real sufferfest adventure!
David that is a fantastic idea! We've actually been talking about trying to take some interesting and original routes up some of our local peaks, and that would be a great one to start with. Writing it down on our climb list right now so we don't forget!! ❤
@@LiveHardxLoveHard Awesome...I have to believe that there are many many untried routes in these incredible mountains we have. The adventure level of our mountains are very underrated!
Hey there! Love watching your videos. I was wondering if you could tell me what pants and navy blue jacket Adam, is wearing.
So glad you're enjoying the videos! My jacket is an On anorak. They've gotten very expensive (I got it years ago), but it's honestly the best piece of clothing I've ever owned. It protects from wind and rain, and it's ultra light so I can just fold it up in the pack and it takes almost no room. I honestly can't remember where the pants are from -- I remember getting them online years ago for a great deal, but that's all I remember! --A
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Thanks Ed! Redemption was sweet on this one!!❤️
Great job, you guys both rock…but please consider using leashes on your ice axes!
Thank you so much! We actually intentionally don't use leashes, and a lot of other climbers are the same way. The thinking is that if you actually slipped and fell, the axe will only help you if you have hold of it, and there's no way to re-grip it from a tether while tumbling. Therefore, having a lethally sharp axe tied to you while tumbling is not helpful and is actually a serious danger -- people have been impaled on them before -- and not worth the risk. Of course, the flip side of that is if you accidentally drop your axe down a cliff when you are not falling, and now you have to get back with no axe. That is a legitimate risk, but the solution is...make sure we don't drop the axe! ❤️
Thanks for the response! Helps me understand the other side of the coin. Best of luck and happy climbing in the future!