Mt. Pinos plus bonus peaks

Our route was an 11-mile out and back on the Vincent Tumamait trail to Mt. Pinos with minor detours to Sawmill Peak and Grouse Mtn.  Most of the trail was a tree-covered Alpine setting with occasional sun exposure. Starting at Cerro Noroeste Rd. The trail drops steeply about 400ft (meaning a killer climb awaits at the end). The rest of the route has more moderate grade. There are cool breezes on the ridges. I recommend an early start. The actual summit of Mt Pinos isn’t that scenic with a large communications tower but there’s a really nice lookout point with a table/bench about 1/4 mile from the summit with great views. Sawmill peak has some nice views as well and a stacked rock monument.