"Gold Mountain was a last-second decision, as I had no concrete plans until the morning of the hike! The decision, I feel, to hike Gold was definitely the right decision! The weather was PERFECT!!!! I was not sure how much snow would be left on the PCT, I believe being on a more northerly exposure, so I decided to hike up Gold Mtn. Rd., since it would be relatively snow free being on the southeast flank of the mountain. I know it is a popular 4WD/Off-Road route, so I was expecting a gang of vehicle traffic. Again, fate was on my side! I saw nobody, not even another hiker the whole way up and about 2/3 of the way down. Then, I saw a bunch of off-road enthusiasts as the time closed on 12pm, but I was mostly the way down. The route is beautiful, featuring a lovely pinyon-juniper woodland with a few Jeffrey Pines and at least 3 species of cacti, and awesome views to the San Gorgonio Wilderness. It was a peaceful ascent with the song of wind in the pinyons and junipers, and call of the Steller's Jay! There are many large mountain-mahoganies in the higher portion of the hike as well! Before the last summit push, 3N69 passes just under Peak 7893 before it dips to the saddle bet..." — brianpowell • Mar 23, 2019

"Really fun day trying out some of the routes on the SW Face. Did Great Steps of Cheops 5.8, The Sphinx 5.6 and Ball and Chain 5.10a. Complete TR: https://TheMtsAreCalling.com/castlerock" — Christopher • Aug 25, 2018

"I went ahead and prioritized this hike because all of a sudden I had one peak left to climb to complete my Big Bear 10 Peak Challenge. Looks like round 1 is complete now. There were ski lifts that simply take you up there, but that wasn't for me. I wanted to do this the right way. The trail to the top is rather scenic. On top are an assortment of buildings, most of which are closed for the season. Instead of coming back down right away, I continued heading east toward Sugarlump Mountain. The Log Chute Trail to the summit is 1.4 miles, with an optional 1 mile loop on the mountain top." — Peak-Conquistador • Aug 30, 2017

"A nice cool and clear day. While starting the hike about 5 miles away, I could see the lookout tower on top of the peak most of the way. I had the dirt road and the mountain to myself. Even the lookout person failed to show up today. In looking through the window, I saw a huge group of people signed the guest list for the previous day. I guess Wednesdays are for fools like me and the crickets. Very peaceful day, regardless. I started the hike next to Camp Whittle, which probably wasn't the closest starting point but it was convenient for me because I didn't even need to move the car before next going up Little Bear Peak." — Peak-Conquistador • Aug 23, 2017

"A short climb up a peak that I just had to attempt, since I was parked right next to it. I was parked near the gradual ridge on the east side. I followed that ridge to the top. On the way down I took a fairly well defined use trail that dropped back down to the road near Hanna Flats Campground." — Peak-Conquistador • Aug 23, 2017