First let's go over the ratings here, overall I would say that the road is clear! Well, on the CA-243, once you turn onto the Forestry Service road it is a bit narrow in places and the carpool driver was a little anxious to get past those areas.  Since it was the first time any of us had been there we did not know that the parking lot was a dirt area with a bit of a drop. We heard more than a few cars scrape and I can't imagine having to do that in my low clearance vehicle. Thankfully you can park along the road if you get there early enough to find a spot.

Bugs were not found along the entire trail, but when you found them .. oh boy! However that also means that there is water nearby. I kind of wished I had remembered to put my water filter into my daypack 🙁 .. the trail itself is in pretty good shape but there were a few areas where the brush is clearly overgrown and I heard plenty of “ouchies” as my short-laden friends walked through it.  Thankfully I think all of the noise kept the predators at bay!

This hiked marked the 2nd time I had been to San Jacinto peak, however this was my first trek via Marion Mountain. I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the trail is :).  While the first few miles felt steep, once I adjusted I was able to enjoy the hike to the top. We took a quick stop at Little Round Valley to set up our hammocks and I almost fell asleep.  On the way back down we decided to try out the hammocks one more time!  I had read a review that Little Round Valley had a pit toilet and you can imagine my surprise when I found the Outhouse with a missing door! I guess that is one way of closing the bathroom. BUT .. there was also a Port-o-Potty. Thankfully I didn't need to make sure of the facilities.

Of the original 6 Pack of Peaks, San Jacinto is still my favorite!  San Bernardino is a close second, but it is such a loooooong trail. Even though the elevation gain ended up being just over 5500 ft I think I would have gone up a second time if the day were just a little longer. Maybe I will look for overnight permits at Little Round Valley. I am sure carrying extra weight wouldn't be easy, but I would be up for the challenge.