The hike had the same grade all the way up, so there weren't any sudden challenges. However, this also meant there were no breaks. The views from the top were really expansive. Looking down the east side, I saw the desert, and looking down the west side, I could see a lot of the mountains that were familiar to me, all the way out to Iron Mountain. I could also barely make out Point Loma in the distance. I was surprised on how much I could see because it wasn't necessarily a clear day, but it wasn't foggy either. Also at the top was the survey marker. It was on a small cement pedestal closer to the east side of the peak.

It wasn't very cold at the bottom, but the temperature drastically changed very quickly. It was cold enough near the top to have a few very small patches of snow off the trail that were no bigger than six feet across. The part of the trail we walked on was clean though. The hike felt great already, but I was really looking forward to seeing snow, so this made it even better, plus I got to experience it without it interfering with the trail.

I haven't done much hiking at high altitudes lately compared to even just a month ago, so this hike was a bit more challenging. I love hiking challenges, but I also think I need to get back in shape.