The slopes are steep with rock outcrops and residual weathered rock and soil below the outcrops. Alluvial fans and flats surround the mountain on all sides except for the northeast. The climate is typical of the Californian deserts with hot, dry summers and cool winters with some moisture and strong and persistent winds. Temperatures range from 70 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and 27 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. Average precipitation is approximately five inches per year with the majority of the rainfall occurring in the winter months from frontal storms.
Winds are strong and persistent.
The soil and biological resources are influenced by the desert climate and dry substrate conditions. Soils are generally rocky or pebbly loams on the slopes, and sandy loams on alluvial fans and flats. Wildlife is fairly diverse, however populations are small and activity is seasonal. The mountain is characterized by rock outcrops and rocky soils with predominantly desert shrub-grass species that have been altered by frequent burning, and by recreation and mine related disturbances. The human disturbance on the mountain stems from historic mining activities, previous and recent mineral exploration, and past and recent burns.