Absolutely awesome hike. My next door neighbor had asked if I wanted to join him on this and I'm so glad I did.

This was a tough, but completely doable, trail. We started at about 7:30 AM from the Marion Mountain trailhead and had the trail to ourselves for the most part (until we got closer to Little Round Valley and the top. The weather was perfectly mild and combined with plenty of shade it made for a very relaxing hike. We took several short breaks on the way up, with a slightly longer break at Little Round Valley to have a snack before heading to the peak. Lots of interesting trees and foliage on the way up, with relatively few animal encounters for us that day (woodpeckers, squirrels, etc). Before reaching the peak, we of course stopped in to the shack near the top and signed the visitors log!

Once we got to the last push to the peak it became a bit more crowded, which we figured was due to those travelling from the tram route. It was a pretty clear day and from the peak we could see from Joshua Tree all the way to the sea (but not Catalina), making for a truly awe inspiring view. I definitely understand what John Muir was talking about, this is definitely a view to remember. We even saw a couple getting married at the top, very small wedding party in tow. We made a quick descent and started our drive back to Orange County to enjoy a much deserved beer.