started at 6:45 a.m.  Very chilly at the start (30 degrees F), which lead to being overdressed by the time we were about a mile uphill (1.5 ish miles in). Shed some clothes, but it got chilly at points along the way.  You get up high pretty quick with beautiful views of the forest / peaks along the way.  It was a tough hike for me.  At mile 5, I had to sit for a few minutes to eat and fuel.  I had not eaten enough the day before. There is a nice flatish part that starts around mile five, but it does go back up again for at least a mile (probably closer 1.5 miles) as you work your way to the fire tower. Total round trip was about 13.5 miles. Weather was perfect!