Iron Mountain #2 - San Gabriel Mountains 04.15.17

A day hike to Iron Mountain from Big Tujunga Canyon Road to Iron Mountain. I hiked up Gold Creek Road to Gold Creek Saddle and then took the overgrown trail that goes past McKinley Mountain to Iron Mountain Saddle along Mendenhall Ridge Road and then continued east along the road to just under Iron Mountain and scrambled up to the summit. This hike requires long sleeves and long pants due to the overgrown status of the section between Gold Creek Saddle and Mendenhall Ridge Road. The overgrown section also has some washed out sections; so be careful. The hike was 19 miles with 4100' gain and took longer than I expected due to trail conditions. The roads are in great shape - it's just that one section between Gold Creek Saddle and Mendenhall Ridge Road that is overgrown, but the trail is still easy to follow and you can push through the bushy sections pretty easily. Ticks and Poodle Dog Bush are other issues you'll deal with.