San Gabriel Mountains
Elevation: 8007'
Distance: 15 miles
Gain: 7200'
According to John Robinson, author of Trails of the Angeles, "8007 foot Iron Mountain is by far the least accessible peak in the San Gabriels....No trail approaches its isolated summit , and to climb it you must start miles away and thousands of feet below." In this local hiking legend's view, "Big Iron" is the most strenuous one-summit hike in the entire San Gabriel range.
We got an early start and had a good plan but mother nature had another idea. After changing a flat tire on my car we made the steep ascent at a good pace. The first part is pretty tough for a newbie like me but the light drizzle kept us cool. The drizzle never let up though and soon became rain that stayed steady up to the 3000' mark and only got worse. After a while the conditions were becoming a bit miserable and we decided to turn around and save this for another day. This is an extreme hike that should not be taken lightly. Preparation, good shoes, and plenty of water seem to be the rule for this beast.
We plan to try this again next weekend and hope for a successful summit.
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