Mt. Wilson Observatory

Started at 6.30am from the trailhead. A pleasant day to start the hike with cool breeze all along. We took the scenic route via the Jones Peak trail (which later merged on the normal trail) on the recommendation of a fellow hiker. This was pretty grueling, ~2200 ft elevation gain in less than 2 miles to the top of Jones Peak. Loose gravel and unmaintained trail made it a difficult climb. A fellow hiker who came with just sport shoes had to make a turn back as it was pretty unsafe for him to go further on this route. It started getting hot eventually around this trail as it was pretty open. It was another ~800ft elevation drop to merge back to the main Mt. Wilson trail. It was a gradual elevation gain all the way to the top from here, being steep at some parts. A mix of shade and open areas, pretty well balanced. Took a tour of the observatory and area around once at the top. Pretty amazing views. Restrooms and water filling stations available at top. The cafe still remains closed as of today. Carry plenty of water. We finished like 5L of water overall. This route we took added like additional ~900 ft elevation gain to the normal predicted. We also saw a rescue helicopter on the way back late in the evening. We took ~6 hrs up and ~3hrs down and spent ~4 hrs resting, chilling and eating. Reached back to the car by 7.30pm and pretty content at having covered 2 peaks in a single day.