I had stayed on a campground in the desert the night before after hiking Volcan and the stars and Milky Way were amazing away from city lights. The Hot Springs trailhead on tribal land is a gorgeous old oak grove. I was the only person there and I would love to camp there when it reopens (closed b/c Covid, but the trail is open). Get there early to avoid the worst of the heat and take plenty of water. The first section of the trail is exposed and has a bit of an incline. After that it kinda levels out and and there is plenty of shade from the oaks and the conifers. The false summit with the crumbling lookout tower has great views of some of the peaks which are on my list. The actual summit is a pile of boulders with an old aluminum ladder and I thought it less interesting. I signed the log. On the way back I found the feather of a golden eagle and shortly thereafter had a close encounter with an eagle, circling close overhead. Amazing creatures, and I felt quite lucky for it. Back at the trailhead I had lunch and surely wanted to stay much longer in this amazing place. Looking forward to going back again.