I've lived in the shadow of Mount Diablo for decades, and never hiked to the summit. I should have done it long ago – it would have been easier “back when” 🙂  Starting at the Mitchell Canyon Staging Area, and hiking up to Twin Peaks and Eagle Peak, the views are stunning on most of the route, and only get better as you ascend. About 3/4 of the way up you can see a long section of the delta, and many cities like Concord, Walnut Creek, etc.

The weather on June 11 couldn't have been better – ever so slightly cool at the start, ever so slightly warm nearing the summit. I encountered only about a dozen hikers on the entire hike up, and only a couple hikers and mountain bikers on the way down. The top, though, was a little bustling with folks who drove up. I've driven up a few times before, and it's expected on a nice weekend.

Admittedly, I'm not the fastest hiker, but not the slowest either. But, the description on SoCalHiker says 5-7 hours. It's a long, pretty brutal hike up, and 5 hours is, IMO, bordering on mutant territory.  I probably had 7.5 hours of hiking time and 1.5 hours of stop/rest. Still, I was pretty toasted when I got to the top.  Thankfully (for me anyway), the route down on the fire road is a non-technical reprive. Make no mistake, though, it's still a long way down.