We started early under cool, cloudy conditions. We went counterclockwise from the trailhead just to explore, and then headed up to the peak. As others have posted, it was difficult to find the trail up out of the creek bed. This peak could be a real challenge in hot weather – very exposed. Recommend taking plenty of water and using poles (especially for descent), as it's pretty much straight up – almost a scramble at times. We were a few days early for the maximal bloom, but the lupine was beautiful and poppies were just starting. Views from the top were awesome. Figueroa Mountain was beckoning. We saw a young rattlesnake on the descent. We were grateful that we were in shape for this one as it was a kicker!