I started the hike at about 6 a.m. on a Sunday because I wanted to beat the heat and crowds (but mostly the heat).  Only a few cars were in the parking lot at that time.

You start climbing immediately after leaving the trailhead and are climbing most of the way to the top. In the first part of the hike, there are a couple logs that you have to climb over.  When you get to the first one, turn around and you will start getting good views of the Mojave…or you can just wait several minutes until you hit the next switchback!

The trail does have a lot of shade until you get to the ridge. I used the shade at the various switchbacks to stop momentarily and drink water.

As mentioned previously, the hike has spectacular views.  At the ridge, you can look one way and see the mountains and the other way and see the Mojave. And the views at the top are awesome (in the literal sense of the word).