"I began the hike at 4:10am at the Peralta trailhead, and made my way east on the Dutchman's trail and then the Coffee Flat trail. I then started the ascent, which was slow going with the brush and the footing. Even though I noticed a ravine that looked promising, I went first to the east side, thinking the route up was there. However, there was nothing there except cliffs, so I went to the ravine and started up. There were a few cairns, and the route wasn't too difficult. On the way down, I went slightly off that route and hopped down off a rock only to come about 4-6 feet from a rattler. I quickly jumped back up and out of the way, thankfully. I couldn't believe a snake was up there, but it definitely could have (did) slither up to that point. After the scare I was more cautious, and made my way back to the wash and trail, and then all the way back. It is a great peak, although it is a long hike to get to it. I consumed 4+ liters of liquid on the hike, and another liter on the drive home. I should have brought 6-7 liters for safety, but everything started out frozen, so it was nice and cold. This peak would be best done in the cold to avoid snakes and hopefully some of..." — ZachTeich • Aug 12, 2022