The road to the trail is rough and has potholes, but we managed to make it up to the trailhead in a sedan. There was one washout relatively close by that might pose a problem if you have a low-clearance car, but it seemed like parking on the side of the road was okay if you don't feel like you can make it past. We snagged the last space at the trailhead, just after noon.
The trail itself was in good shape but definitely was mentally taxing. There were rocks and roots aplenty, and it was tough to enjoy some of the views without tripping. The rock field before Elan Lake was fine, with one a couple loose sections. Some of the rocks in the area were pretty dusty and easy to slip on. The views in the rock field are nice for something so close to the trailhead. The cairns at this rock field aren't super visible, and we benefited from seeing a couple groups hiking out while we were hiking in.
After the rock field, the ascent up to Elan Lake was quite steep. The trail was dusty, but had good footing. We paused to refill water from the stream running off of the lake, then continued onto the peak.
There were several campsites between the lake and the final scramble to the top. All looked clean, had level dirt, and with room for a 2-3 person tent. That stretch of the trail looked down on Elan Lake, so we didn't feel too badly about skipping that stop on the way up.
The final climb up to the peak was the most fun part of the hike. We had a relatively clear day and could see mountains in all directions. The trail turns into cairns that give a mostly friendly path on the way up. The granite boulders provided flat, grippy footholds, but we both opted to stash our trekking poles in favor of having hands free for the steepest sections.
The peak itself was beautiful with 360 degree views and a spectacular sunset. There are 2 tent sites at the top, right next to each other. One was taken and we opted to search for a spot in the area just below the peak, to the west. Most of the area has vegetation, but we eventually found a small rock ledge that we could fit our tent on. There are no water sources or bathrooms (or dirt to dig a hole) if you camp up here.
Sunday, we woke up and enjoyed sunrise from the peak. The wildfire smoke had drifted in overnight and it was getting heavier as the morning went on. We packed up and tried to hike out before it got any worse. The large boulder field near the peak was an easy descent but the rest of the hike was a bit of a slog. Smoke blocked any of the decent views, and made it harder to breathe deep and relax in nature. It was a slow and plodding hike out, as the descent was too steep/rooty/rocky to actually keep up any sort of pace without worrying about rolling an ankle.
Overall a great peak, and a good enough hike. It took us 3.5 to 4 hours, each way to complete. Don't underestimate this hike because it's only 8 miles. There's little tree cover past the first half mile and could be relentlessly hot on a sunny day.
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