We started at an elevation of 5,870 feet and hiked to the peak (8,762 feet). The trail starts at the Pine Springs Campsite. The trail started off dirt/grass and eventually becomes dirt/grass, rocky, and stair-step layers of rock with many switchbacks and occassional shady trees.... the day we hike, the temperature was in the 70s and the winds were mild (we were told the winds topped 100 mph the previous weeks). The view from the top of the peak was absolutely breathtaking. At the summit, there is a small monument honoring the 100th anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental mail route... don't forget to sign the visitors book!!