We were really curious about the Ellie Lane Trail so we went back to Iron Mtn. We didn't have a lot of time so we decided to try to do 10 miles in 5 hours.
We started up the Iron Mountain trail to the junction where if you go right it is 1.45 miles more to the top of Iron Mountain. If you go left it is 3.3 miles out to Ellie Lane Staging Area. We decided to go to Ellie Lane. This would give us 1.75 up to the junction, then 6.6 to Ellie Lane and back, then 1.75 miles back to Poway Rd. for a total 10.1 miles.
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| View of Laguna Mtns from near Ramona Overlook Trail |
The Ellie Lane trail was fantastic. We had already been on part of it from the other direction, but it was really nice going north from the Iron Mtn. trail. We passed the Ramona Overlook trail about 3/4 of a mile out. About a mile out you get to the first saddle. The views all along this trail are spectacular. You can see down into parts of Ramona and east toward the Cuyamacas.
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View toward Ramona from near the first saddle on the Ellie
Lane trail heading north from Iron Mtn trail. |
From the saddle you continue down and there are 3 routes you can take. The left trail goes farther west along the south side of the mountain to the grove of trees we had visited on our previous hike. The right trail crosses over to another mountain and stays to the east and travels high up on the side of that mountain. The third goes east along the side of the same mountain but a little lower down. We went to the right and took the high trail. This trail eventually ends up at table rock. There is a big tree to the west of table rock that has a picnic table where you can have a nice lunch in the shade. Table rock is at the saddle of the second hill. There are great views to the ocean from here. You continue over the saddle and down through a nice boulder area. Ellie Lane parking lot is about one mile from table rock.
We skipped the last few hundred yards to the parking lot and headed back up Ellie Lane Trail. On the way back we took the west road down to the grove of trees and then east back up to the last saddle. We got back to the Iron Mtn junction and took the southern trail (which is much smoother and more wooded than the northern and more traveled trail) back to the parking lot. 10 miles in 5 hours!
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Just one of many wildflower shots that we took. Early rains
in San Diego produced an abundance of wildflowers in
January! |
I have been experimenting with my shoes on these hikes. I have an old pair of hiking boots and a very worn pair of Merrel walking shoes. The shoes don't have much support and seem to be harder on my knees and the boots hurt my feet, but are better for my knees and back. I tend to alternate until I can afford to buy a new pair.
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