This was a beautiful hike. I started at the 4WD trailhead. The 4WD trail was rough and had one creek crossing and a couple of intense puddle crossings. It might be hairy to reach if your 4WD car doesn't have high clearance.

I only saw three other groups on this trailhead, which was fewer than I expected on a Saturday. I had the basin to myself both going up and returning. The basin trail was clearly marked and easy to follow. There were some spots of mud that required some rock hopping.

The ascent from the basin to the notch in the ridge was very loose dirt and scree. At one steep section about â of the way up, I made the mistake of taking the lefthand, mostly dirt section with no rock footholds. The dirt and scree didn't hold my weight- I'd steer towards the bigger rocks. Most of those were stable.

The next major section slowed me down quite a bit. Route finding was difficult on the way up. Center right and center left seemed to be the way to go. It's easier to see the different trails if you turn around and look downhill. The two trails I saw started center right/ center left and moved more towards the outside. There's no need to go directly over the top of this false summit. You'll have to descend a little once you reach the top. I ended up losing the trail and joining up with it center left about halfway through. The large rocks were fairly stable, but I still had to test every step. After that section, it was relatively easy going to the top.

I took it easy with lots of breaks. I started at 6:15am, summited in 3h, spent 20 minutes at the top, and was back down after 5h45m.

The way down made the big rock field easier to navigate. I slipped and fell a couple of times coming down the loose dirt into the basin. It was pretty hot once I got off the ridge. It was a little buggy. I recommend bug spray.