I dropped my wife off at the airport this morning at 5 am. From there I headed over to tackle Black Butte. I began my hike around 6 am. I was surprised to already see a few cars in the parking area. I only saw 1 group of folks heading up and 3 other people heading back down when I was entering the upper portion. I’ve done this hike before, but not so early. It was hot last time. I’d definitely recommend an early start as there’s not much shade once you bust out of the tree line. Overall, it was a perfect day. No problems with the trail and there were even some flowers popping. I also passed a fellow Six-Pack of Peaks Challenger.  Afterwards, I refueled with a tasty sub from New York City Sub Shop!