Hiking Mt. Islip

On Saturday we hiked to Mt. Islip from the Crystal Lake area. I had been to Mt. Islip several times, but this was my first time doing this particular route. Angeles Crest Highway has been closed, so we knew the peak was accessible from Crystal Lake and decided to give it a go.
It was warm starting out and there were tons of gnats flying around so a big net would have been helpful. I used a different backpack than my regular day pack and left my bug net behind. Other than that, it was a fabulous hike with gradual elevation gain most of the way to the peak.
Clouds danced around much of the day which provided occasional relief from the brutal sun and gave us intervals of shade and cool breezes. Those clouds later turned into a late afternoon thunderstorm that we enjoyed watching from the Crystal Lake Cafe while eating frito pie on the patio.
There was running water through the campground at the beginning of the hike and even a small water crossing on the trail, most likely due to snowmelt. The trail was pretty much clear of snow until about the last 50 feet to the summit where there was a pretty sizable snowfield on the north facing slope. But there were deep tracks so it was fairly easy to navigate.
My only negative about the hike was at the summit. There was a guy flying a drone and it totally ruined the experience of sitting atop a mountain and enjoying the peace and serenity of being in a natural environment. It also felt intrusive as he would often allow the drone to hover right over people. That is my problem with drones. People are often not respectful and considerate of others when using them.
Despite the bugs and the big bug (the drone), it was a lovely day in the mountains, capped off with Adam’s famous chili and a beautiful thunderstorm.