Distance: 5.6 miles

Difficulty: moderate

Fog, or the ocean?

This was my first ever California hike,  and I did it before I knew I was moving out here.

I was living in Michigan, it was January, and I was antsy to get some sunshine and warmth. I got vacation approved, and set my sights on San Diego, somewhere that I knew for sure did not currently have snow on the ground.

I was actually born in CA, but moved when I was 2. I remember nothing about living here, but always felt a connection to the state. That vacation to San Diego was my first time back in over 2 decades.

I was traveling solo for the 4 day trip, and I knew I wanted to dedicate at least a half of a day to leave the city and explore the surrounding mountains. I wanted something fairly well traveled, nice views, and a decent workout. I found the Iron Mountain Trail online, and it seemed to fit my requirements.

It was a pretty foggy morning when I set out, but the drive there took me above the clouds. It was very easy to find, right off of Highway 67 in Poway.

It’s fairly flat for the first half of a mile, then you’ll start gaining better elevation.

Set up self-timer. Run to edge of cliff. Act as if you’ve been chilling there the whole time for the photo.

At about 1.4 miles, the Ellie Lane Trail joins in from the left. Keep right and head up the mountain.

The last .8 miles is uphill, rocky switchbacks. When you make it to the top, you’ll be greeted with fantastic views that make the effort worth it! On my hiking day, the fog was dense in the valleys. It was awesome! Because I was really unfamiliar with the area, sometimes I didn’t know if I could see the ocean, or if it was just clouds.

At the top? Time to chill on the rocks or picnic tables. Who had to carry those up here? 😉
Look SSE to see the San Vicente Reservoir. Poway is to the west, and Ramona to the NE.

Follow the trail back down. I, for some strange reason, felt great and decided to jog most of the way down. And I managed to do so without tripping or rolling an ankle. Yes!