Hiked: 4/29/2024 (x4)
Distance: 13.8 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 8007'
Elevation Gain: 7031'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 5.6
Round trip time: 10 hours 26 minutes
Recommended water: 188 oz.
Parking/Fees: Adventure Pass at Heaton Flat Trailhead
Difficulty: Very Strenuous
Sean Cucamonga and I planned to tackle the wild southwest ridge of Big Iron. A couple of weeks ago, we set out for Allison Mine on the abandoned trail from Allison Saddle to cache water. Unfortunately, we ran out of time about half way to the mine on the abandoned trail. We left 3.5 liters near the start of the Allison trail. Sean was sidelined with a back issue, but I wanted to make use of that water. My last visit to Iron was six years ago. The last time I took the trail was 2012. I read my original report and almost everything still applies. I've added more photos and details in this report. A quick note: there is no cell access from anywhere, including the parking lot and summit.
I started at 6:30 AM with only a few other cars in the lot. I didn't see anyother soul the entire day. The trail to Allison Saddle was a little overgrown with plants intruding on the trail. There were also a few small washouts and the old Sheep Wilderness sign had fallen down. About 3 miles in, you reach the start of the roller-coaster ridge. There were four bumps and the trail went directly over the top of each, then switchbacked down to Allison Saddle. These bumps added extra gain on the way back to push the total over 7000'. When I hit the saddle, I retrieved two liters of cached water, leaving the rest for the return trip. The character of the hike changed after this point since the rest of the trail is not officially maintained. From Allison Saddle, the trail gained about 3400' in 2.4 miles. My best calculations suggest this hike burns 3751 calories. I took a short break every hour to ingest some calories and stay energized.
The first slope beyond the saddle is one of the worst. Loose ramps of dirt and scree at up to 45 degree angles. Vegetation and small trees were useful as aid to getting up some parts. There were two more sections of the unmaintained trail that were similarly painful. After the initial shock, the ridge levels out for a while, then drops to connect with the next uphill challenge. A couple of times, I questioned why I was doing this for fun. It all made sense at the top. Around 6500' in elevation, the terrain opened up with large pines and an alpine feel. In stark contrast to the first half, the upper part of Iron Mountain was quite beautiful. Views got bigger while the uphill grind stayed relentless. I passed a couple of small snow patches that refused to melt. Just before the summit, there was a unique gray granite section. The rocks led like a red carpet to the summit.
It was a relief to spot the W15 witness post. At times, it's been down, but looked solid in the summit cairn. The register in the ammo box was a couple of years old and nearly full. I found an open spot to sign and looked through recent entries. Also in the box were a red sign designed for social media shots and a small stuffed toy. Some of the stuff looked more typical of a geocache. After photos, I took a short break on the summit to take in the views. I made a point to move deliberately on the way down. The steep dirt and scree were slippery in spots. I picked up the remaining water at Allison Saddle and worked back over the roller-coaster ridge. The final couple of miles always seem to drag. It was warm, but not hot, by the time I got off the trail. I drank less water on this trip than the first time due to cooler weather.
I was quite pleased to summit at age 60 (#iron-over-60-club), only 8 minutes slower than my first time 12 years ago. 7000' of gain is always 7000' gain. It never lies to you. I haven't completely given up on the southwest ridge, but I'll need to find the other abandoned trail from Allison Gulch to the mine. Iron is always a great trainer.
See also:
Iron Mountain #1 (2012)
Iron Mountain #1 via San Antonio Ridge
Iron Mountain #1 via Gold Dollar Mine
Estimated energy to hike Iron Mountain #1
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