Started off from Marion Mtn trailhead around 7 am. There is limited parking and it could fill up quickly. It seems that people start really early to see the sunrise, so hikers are more staggered and parking spots open up through the day. The hike starts with you passing the campground. The trail is well maintained. From the beginning, you will be hiking up an incline. The trail starts off with oaks and then changes to pines, some of which are sugar pines, and eventually to more open, rocky areas with little tree coverage. This time of the year there were a lot of flowers and it was really beautiful. Azealas/rhododendrons (?) along with ferns lines  the first portion of the hike and made the trail smell heavenly.  The first portion of the hike had several small waterfalls, which I’m not sure will necessarily be there as summer advances, but the sound of falling water and birds singing was awesome.  Note due to the water, there were a lot of bugs and mosquitos flying around. I would highly suggest big repellent.  The trail continues to ascend to more rocky and open portions of the trail. Early in the morning the temp was great for hiking, but when we descended, it was pretty hot for hiking. We stopped at Little Round Valley to rest and eat. There is a Porto potty there if you choose to use it and there is a stream you can replenish your water. From Little Round Valley you have about 1.3 miles left until the peak. As you reach the start to the peak there will be a little hut and you will see people resting the rocks around this area before they make the final push to the peak. The last bit of the hike to the peak is a bolder scramble. Once you reach the top you get a great view of the valley below, can see the tram station in the distance, and see Diamond Lake. It has many photo ops, including one with the San Jacinto Peak sign. It is also just a great place to relax and hang out before starting back. Returning is all downhill and is pretty brutal on the knees and toes. I recommend hiking poles for both the ascent and descent. Hike was tough, but beautiful and will leave you feeling very accomplished.