The Iron-Baldy Traverse is a San Gabriel and Southern California classic, a true testpiece for serious hikers. It invovles hiking to the summit of Iron Mountain, one of the toughest peaks in the San Gabriels, then traversing accross a 4-5 mile long ridge to the 10000 foot summit of Mt. Baldy, the highest mountain in the San Gabriels. The route is approximately 16 miles with a monstrous 10000 feet of elevation gain and a few class 3 sections to spice things up. We set up a car shuttle and began our hike in the dark at 6:30am. From the summit of Iron, we could see some fierce clouds swirling above Mt. Baldy’s summit and knew we were in for a little more than we’d hoped. After negotiating the short and sweet class 3 sections on the ridge, we ascended into the deteriorating weather and put up with numb hands and faces until we reached the summit of Baldy, where we were able to drop down into calmer conditions. Reaching the car at 8pm, it was a long and rewarding day, the challenge of which was softened by great company.