I hiked up Volcan Mountain earlier this month. The first 1.5 miles feels never ending and straight up. I didn't branch off to the Five Oaks Trail, but where that trail reconnects with the main trail is when the hike became easier. The day I went there was a storm pushing in that wasn't supposed to arrive until the next day, but it arrived shortly after I reached the summit. I was lucky enough to see the views all around me and to check out the PCT right before the clouds covered the mountain and valley. The winds at the top were UNREAL! I was so grateful for my balaclava. By the time I turned to hike back down my fingers and hair were frozen and I felt giddy like a little kid. It was quite the experience! Disappointed that there was no actual summit marker, but the other signage was really neat, showing the mountain ranges on either side. I had never experienced such intense wind on a hike and it was awesome to see. This hike was probably on the medium side of moderate, except the first 1.5 mile push it wasn't hard at all. Great if you need a quick hike and then you can visit the town of Julian afterwards for a bite to eat.