We got to the trailhead at 9am. We thought that the road up to the trailhead would be rough with a lot of rills, but the road seemed to have been well graded and suitable for vehicles. The trailhead being on an exposed part of the ridge, as well as the storm clouds rolling in, the beginning of the run was very windy. We all needed windbreakers in the beginning. As the run progressed, the wind tamed down and the temperature proved to be pretty mild. The trail itself was very well maintained and very wide with a few plants growing in the middle of the trail. While the trail is a bit long being ~17 miles, the elevation gain proved to be very manageable and very gradual the whole way. The cool weather also allowed this run to feel very good. At the summit of Caliente, we got great views of the Carrizo Plain to the North and the Cuyama Valley to the south with eerie storm clouds looming overhead. The overall run took us under 4 hours to get to the Caliente summit and back.