#158 Iron Mountain

The grand trailhead.

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Parking coordinates: 32.9784°N, -116.9726°W.

Summary

Though not the dreaded Iron Mountain of Southern California hiking lore, this is undoubtedly the more popular one.  This is an easy to moderate hike with a gentle climb to the summit.  The only real challenge is dealing with it on a hot day, since there is nearly no shade and quite a bit of direct sunshine.  The hike starts at a well manicured trailhead, featuring a road lined grove of oak trees. 

Passing through the oaks.

This section of trail is rather photogenic and often gets used for wedding photography.  However, once clearing this straight lined grove, the road gets bathed in sunlight, which becomes a common theme the rest of the way to the peak.

Viewing Iron Mountain.

At about 1.5 miles in, a junction gets reached, and a right turn continues toward the summit.  A series of shallow switchbacks eventually lead to the summit, which has a viewing platform and good views over northern San Diego. 

Approaching the summit.

This is considered the second most popular hike in San Diego County, second to Cowles Mountain, which is closer to downtown San Diego.  Summit views are satisfying and worth the effort.  The hike itself is an out and back, but short enough to where the visit can be combined with some other nearby hike, or maybe even two.

On the summit.

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#157 Clevenger Canyon North

Heading toward the high points.

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Parking coordinates: 33.08921°N, -116.90107°W.

Summary

While visiting Clevenger Canyon South in the beginning of the year, I returned at the end of the year to visit Clevenger Canyon North. The trail drops down from the road and crosses a creek before beginning the climb.  Once leaving the creek, there is no shade the rest of the way.  It doesn't take long for canyon views to catch your eye. 

Canyon views.

The climb is gradual as it reaches toward the high points in the first two miles.  I visited Clevenger Canyon North Viewpoint first.  Since Peak 1820 was conveniently close, I made sure to add it to the hike. 

A rocky viewpoint near the North Viewpoint.

There was no true use trail that I could find that led to the summit, so I made my way off-trail via the route of least resistance.  This would be my turnaround point.  There are more high points to visit further up, but I wasn't sure if trails led all the way up. 

Gazing at Peak 1820 from the North Viewpoint.

Instead of being curious like I usually am, I felt content with the double peak visit and headed back down.  The visit is short enough to combine with the Clevenger Canyon South hike, but being that I am a Southern Californian, I was content to give each hike their own day.

On the summit of Peak 1820.

An interesting formation along the trail.

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#150 The Norco Crosses

Heading into the hills.

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Parking coordinates: 33.945903°N, -117.517427°W.

Summary

Norco is Horse Capital USA.  At least it's Horse Capital of Southern California.  City streets are lined with walking paths for riding horses, which made me feel a bit out of place while driving to the trailhead.  I parked at Pikes Peak Park in a suburban community and walked down the street to Ingalls Equestrian Center.. 

Heading toward Peak 1261.

From there, a network of trails go into the hills, with the most notable destination being Pumpkin Rock.  While most visitors go to Pumpkin Rock, I deliberately bypassed a visit to it by heading straight into the hills from the equestrian center.  A decent use trail heads up to the ridge to the north of Pumpkin Rock.

On the summit of Peak 1261.

I summited Peak 1456 first, which had a cross on top, but it was in disrepair.  My next time up I found it badly damaged and lying on the ground.  Regardless, it was satisfying to reach the summit and appreciate the views.  I next extended out to Peak 1261, which has the best views on the hike. 

Riverside city views.

It is a bit out of the way from the loop but worth the effort getting to.  When heading back, and just below Peak 1456, the hike passes another impressive cross at an overlook point above Riverside.  Although not intended to, that point also marks the near halfway point between Peak 1261 and Peak 1477 (AKA: Ravitz), which is the high point on the hike.

Halfway to Peak 1477.

The hike continues up the ridge to the high points around Peak 1477.  Another grand cross marks the summit with great Inland Empire views. After topping out, the trail goes steeply downhill toward Crestview Avenue, where street walking goes the rest of the way back to Pikes Peak Park, forming a grand semi-loop through the Norco Hills.

Approaching the high point.

Reaching the top.

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#147 Monserate Mountain

A semi-elaborate gateway to begin the hike.

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Parking coordinates: 33.3723°N, -117.1486°W.

Summary

The trailhead is located just off of Interstate 15 in Northern San Diego County.  While there are not very many other hikes nearby, this spot is a rather popular one. 

Heading up the trail behind the trailhead.

Fortunately, there is a lot of space along the road to park.  The hike itself is unshaded and climbs gradually all the way to the summit.  The route is on an old dirt road converted into a hiking/mountain bike only trail.  It is a rather straightforward outing, without many surprises. 

On the summit.

On the summit is a register, and on my visit a waving American Flag.  Nice views open up from the top.  On the way back, it is possible to form a semi loop by taking a trail heading south just after dropping from the summit, which also adds some mileage.

Summit benchmark.

Otherwise, returning the way you came is fine as well, it also gives the opportunity to enjoy the views while descending.  This is a great hike for those who are looking for a quick workout, but without investing too much time to do it, plus you get to claim a peak!

Good views on the return.

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#139 The Box Springs Mountain Loop

Heading for the high points on the loop.

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Parking coordinates: 33.9617°N, -117.2803°W.

Summary

Although there are other potential starting points, for the loop I prefer starting in the parking lot at the end of Box Springs Mountain Road.  From there, I set off on a rather counter clockwise loop to include 5 peaks along the way.  There are actually a few more on the plateau, but I included them on other hikes that I completed and included in my So Cal list.

Peak 2602.

My first peak on the loop was Peak 2602.  A use trail diverts from the loop to reach the summit.  On the day, the morning started out foggy, and it provided an odd view of the landscape that certainly seemed rather non Southern California appearing. 

Otherworldly views on the plateau.

from there, I returned to the loop and went to Box Springs Mountain Lookout, which is a lower viewpoint on the plateau.  The steepest part of the hike comes next as the trail elevates toward the highest points of Peak 3001 and Box Springs Mountain.  Great Riverside and Inland Empire views are visible for miles.

Inland Empire views.

After visiting Box Springs Mountain, the loop continues north where I got off the loop again to visit Peak 2866.  That was the last diversion before returning back to the parking lot.  It opened my eyes to formulate a plan to include a few more peaks when doing the Two Trees Trail a few weeks later.

Approaching a high point.

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