...or when Plan B wasn't so bad.
Trail details
Distance: 5.9 miles
Elevation gain: 1,125 ft
Type: Out & back
Approx. time: 2h 52min
Dogs allowed: Yes
Permit required: No
This weekend just started off a bit odd. On Saturday I had a fundraiser yoga event that I needed to go to, so I had decided to go for a hike right after. The sun was out and it was a beautiful day. But then I got home, sat down for a moment... and suddenly got really tired. I just couldn't pull myself off the couch to go for a long hike. Instead I ended up taking a nap and went for a little walk later.
I was quite disappointed with myself, as I didn't want to miss out on this hike and I knew I wouldn't be able to go on Sunday as I had another fundraiser event planned. This time paddle boarding. But, in case you live in Southern California and remember this day, you will remember how the weather shifted back to rain (as this year as been super rainy in general).
Rain + paddle boarding = not great
So, we ended up cancelling our event as we didn't want participants to be miserable on the water. And taddaaaa... here was my chance!
Now I knew I just had to go hiking. So I packed up my stuff, got Emma ready and off we went. It was already later in the day, so I made sure to pack my head lamp in case we would end up in the dark on our hike back.
Iron Mountain is one of the classics in Southern California. While the parking lot is pretty big, I usually recommend getting there early. We were lucky going later in the day, as it was cloudy and in the surrounding areas even rainy. Which means, we didn't see a lot of people on the trail or at the top.
The trail is very easy to follow, the first half of it is pretty straight forward until you get to the switchbacks that take you all the way to the top within the last mile. Once you arrive at the top you get 360° views and on a clear day you can see all the way to Mt. Woodson and Catalina Island.
With all the rain we had lately the trail has a few washed-out and very rocky sections, so if you feel unstable I would recommend sturdy boots and bringing hiking sticks. There is no shade on this hike (well, unless you come on a rainy day as you can see in the pictures) so bring sunscreen and plenty of water. If you come on a colder day, bring a wind breaker or warmer jacket as it gets quite windy at the top.
Emma and I certainly enjoyed the current conditions of the trail and the solitude that came with it. And a big bonus: all the smells from the blooming wildflowers!
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