Final 3.6 miles of road are clear, rocky and rutted. Our stock 2016 Jeep Wrangler enjoyed the ride. The route description on 14ers.com is spot on. We were the only hikers on this side of the mountain on this splendid Fall day. Bonus. The first few miles of the trail are becoming a bit overgrown but no issues finding the route. Having gotten our boots sloppy wet two years ago, we brought a second pair of socks/shoes, as parts of the first mile can be sloppy. No issues crossing the feeder creeks to Jennings. We trended along the talus (on hiker's right while ascending) and stayed dry.
Fall colors were extraordinary. The stand of ancient Bristlecone Pines are the major bonus of this hike. Once on the ridgecrest, there was a light dusting of snow from the night of Sep 27. It was melting fairly quickly by the time of our descent. We were never tempted to break out our microspikes. The summit and east facing walls looked bone dry, but a thin layer of ice could accumulate on the western exposures (?).
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