We had the Sawmill Meadow "Campground," (9200 feet) all to ourselves. The marshy meadow was adorned with blooming irises, cinquefoil, and shooting stars. The class 1 climb is rated to take 3 hours by the DPS, but I suspect that time is for those who don't pause to examine the obsidian. We spent most of the day. On the summit, we spread out the Inyo National Forest map and spent an hour identifying peaks, checking out the caldera and other volcanic features below.
Naturally, we had to walk to the north summit. And all over the east and south sides of the mountain enjoying the black and brown obsidian and other volcanic rocks. Dang, that stuff is sharp! I cut my finger picking up a piece. Just below the north summit we ate lunch in the pines and watched the vivid pine grosbeaks. The trip was a clear success.