I started this peak fairly early- 7am on a Tuesday. The first 3 miles leading up to Baldy Notch were perfect- cool and shaded nearly the entire way. There was a nice breeze in the canyon and the slope was totally manageable. It was downright pleasant.

After the notch there was an unavoidable increase in elevation as you hit the ski slopes but it was still not uncomfortably hot, which was nice for this time of year. It was also not terribly dusty, maybe because there were relatively few people hiking mid- week. I came across a grand total of 12 people on the trail counting both ways.

The backbone was amazing- the clouds were just clearing over most of the Cajon pass and smog had yet to set in in the West. There was a fairly strong breeze as well which was welcome.

Frankly it didn't get hot until after I started my descent, which was fine with me. I loved the views of the devil's backbone so much I actually ended up doing an out and back, and will plan to return another day to check out the Sierra club ski hut!