This trail isn't on public lands.  Have to pay Los Coyotes Tribe $10/person for entrance.  Got there too early to pay in person, so wrote down our car information on some paper, folded the money inside and tossed it in through the mail slot.  There's a small campground near the trailhead.  Trail circled around the perimeter of a small valley for about .5 miles and then it was the relentless climb for about 3 miles.  Inclines averaged around 20% and pieces were up to 25% grade.  So happy I trained a lot with inclines and distance.  When the junction from Sukat Road to Hot Springs Mountain Road came up, it was more manageable.  Small patches of snow way off the trail remained due to the coverage of the forest trees.  A couple muddy spots easily navigated and a fallen tree.  The last mile or so was in the sun, no shade. A small runoff was down the middle of the road and had a lot of Fool's Gold to see.  I was pretty spent by the time we saw the watch tower.  But the views were worth it – could see over to the Palomar Observatory and San Gregoria and Jacinto.  There was no sign or registry, but someone told us that the true summit was about .1 miles through the patch of manzanitas.  I can't call it a summit…it was a huge boulder that was impossible to climb without those Cirque du Soleil ropes.  But the geological marker was on that boulder, and I had to get a picture of it.  So up I went but coming back down was a bit challenging because I had to back down the boulder.  Never looked forward to the downhill more than with Hot Springs.