Spent a beautiful day in the Los Padres National Forest! This trail is rated “hard” and I thought, “How hard could it be?” Not much elevation gain and not too long a distance. Haha! Mt Pinos itself was easy. Very slight incline, a mixture of sun and shade. Beautiful wildflowers in bloom all over the hills. Then came Sawmill. Initially easy…because it's mostly downhill! Another gradual incline to the peak. Not bad. At this point, my hiking partner, who was struggling, decided to take a break and I continued on to Grouse. Surprise! Another long trek downhill! The push to the top was steep, but short. When I thought I was at the peak, I checked my map…only to find that I wasn't at the peak. Lovely views on top of that ridge, however. Ok…now to find Grouse. There was no trail to speak of. I never would have found it without the AllTrails app. It was a bit anticlimactic, as it didn't really seem like a peak. It was a spot in the midst of the forest with no views. If it hadn't been for the app, I wouldn't have known that I had gotten there! This is a beautiful hike, however, and I will do it again. Now for the hard part. Hiking back up those long stretches that were downhill on the way in. THAT is what challenges you. Got in a good workout, saw some amazing scenery (those trees!), and the temps were perfect. It might have been 103 at home, but it was in the mid-70's up on that mountain. What a great day!  Challenge completed!!