This trail is a personal favorite and I've hike it so many times that it feels like an old friend.  It is a beautiful ascent with many stunning vistas along the way.  There were lots of wildflowers – lupine (3 kinds!), cream cups, wine cup clarkias, mariposa lilies, vetch, California pea, salsify – and a lot of bird song – towhee, acorn woodpecker, wren, bunting, jay and sparrow.  The weather was a tad on the warm side but otherwise perfect, with nice cool breezes near the top.  The bugs weren't a problem when hiking at a reasonable pace but I was bitten once during a photo stop.  Until I was tipped off by another member of the group I never knew there was a second benchmark high among a stand of oaks.  All in all a perfectly splendid day!