Wanted to try a new way up the mountain this time, and the trailhead's open early as you like!  My intentions to be hiking by 5 were undercut by oversleeping, so I didn't start off until 6:20, by which time the trail was jumping.  One fellow I passed said that it was like the 405 (and me without my FastPass).  Favorite encounter was the gentleman who told me, “You smell…”  I laughed, I mean, an hour into hiking, he's NOT WRONG… But he completed the sentence a beat later, “so good!”

Orchard Camp is a lovely place for a rest and a snack, and I timed it perfectly so that the Cosmic Cafe had just opened when I arrived. I had a Dr. Pepper that never tasted so good before heading back down. The exposed last two miles was brutal in the 87 degree heat, and I felt really bad for the folks who were going uphill in those conditions.  A challenging hike that was very enjoyable. And wow, you see how close the Bobcat Fire came to the telescope… Those firefighters were so heroic, and it's amazing they saved the buildings.