Drove here from Palm Springs and got to the trailhead a little before 9 am. The trailhead was packed and I had to park 0.6 miles down the road and walk up to the trailhead. Be there early or be prepared for extra miles. I did the loop counterclockwise and detoured to see Sturtevant Falls first. Sturtevant falls was pretty busy, but once I was back on Sturtevant Trail and headed to Mount Wilson I had the trail mostly to myself. It was a good workout climbing to the top; I was soaked with sweat! This part of the trail was mostly shaded with trees. I took pictures at the top and then headed down Mount Wilson Road/Trail to the Winter Creek Trail. The beginning of this trail burned in October 2017, but the burned area only lasted one to two miles. This trail was also more exposed than the Sturtevant Trail. There was a lot of poison oak on the trail, but I was able to avoid it and I was wearing shorts.

Hike stats: 16.31 miles, 6 hours and 26 minutes (5 hour and 57 minutes moving time), and 4,488 feet of elevation gain. July 20, 2019. Peak 3/6 of the SoCal Challenge.