Arrived at the huge Nordic Base parking lot at 7:45. Pretty empty. Perfect cool weather. Light jacket up to Pinos but peeled it off soon after. Hiked with my 17 year old son, Ethan. Wide fire road the entire 2 plus miles up to Pinos and on to the condor observatory. We were hoping to spot a condor but no such luck. Incredible views though. From there it actually becomes a trail. Not too tough up or down. This is the baffling part for us: Somehow we missed the very well marked fork in the trail pointing towards Sawmill. I guess we were both looking up. We continued on to Grouse which was unplanned but  actually added to our hike, as the trail meanders through a beautiful pine forest. The distance between Pinos and Sawmill is less than expected and pretty easy. We summited Sawmill on the way back. Great views from the rock monument. No wildlife sightings, still a patch of snow here and there, and not very many people. It's great to have such beautiful pine forests and peaks at 8,000′ so close to home.