5:15 AM start is always nice for great parking. I didn't want to deal with snow and ice so I hiked Baldy Bowl to Ski Hut then to the summit which is also perhaps the shortest route. I only encountered ice for about 1/4 mile on the first major incline after Ski Hut, no snow or ice in the last 1/2 mile, and the summit itself was completely free of snow and ice. Only about 8 people were at the summit when I arrived, but within 30 minutes another 30 or 40 summited from the various routes. The views were nice and I could see at least six other peaks in this year's challenge.

Another hiker said SpaceX was launching a rocket at 9:30 AM from Vandenberg AFB, so I stuck around but we didn't see it. Instead one saw what may be a tiny contrail under a cloud at 9:23 AM, and I later found out the launch was successful at 9:17 AM so I guess that was it. Meeting and hanging out with other hikers was more cool though.