Morning fog, light drizzle—June Gloom is a fact of life in Southern California, but JG wasn't going to stop Barbara and me from tackling our first hike up to Saddle Peak, at 2805-ft., the 6th highest summit in the Santa Monica Mountain range, between Malibu and Calabasas. The views of Malibu and the mountains must be glorious...any other month. From the parking lot, we could see about 100-ft. in front of us. So? Barbara said it best as we started up the Saddle Peak Trail off Stunt Road, "Without jaw-dropping views to distract us, we can pay more attention to the details along the trail." The single-path dirt trail didn't disappoint—rock steps, chaparral, rock formations, wildflowers, and a speck of blue sky as we reached the Backbone Trail intersection and turned toward the top of the peak. The fog followed us to the summit, stubbornly blocking any chance of a view. Didn't matter. This pretty and easy trail will bring us back for a second act during clear-sky January or February. Saddle Peak Trail is remote enough to discourage crowds, and the slope of the trail provides a good, medium workout. We met several rock climbers and couples with small children along the way and, oddly, lizards that weren't afraid to have their photo taken. On the way back down, the sun broke through for a small preview of what lies beyond the curtain. Short and fun! Trail and driving directions on hikespeak.com.