The main obstacle was the wind at the top, very windy & felt dangerous. This hike earns every bit of its reputation. For the first 3.5 miles I was wondering what all the fuss was about. Started at 5:15. At mile 1 I had gained about 450’ of elevation (saw a herd of deer early on), mile 2 made it 1000’, mile 3 was about 1600’. Then I had to start focusing on the trail & the rough terrain. It was about 4.4 miles to the Weatherford trail cutoff which was on the saddle. By this point you could really feel the wind. The next .9 miles were rough but easy to follow because the trail is marked with tall sticks in the ground. The last 200 yards were perilous. Winds had to be 80 mph so I had to stay low & gator crawl, holding onto rocks the whole way. It was a little freaky but when you get to the top you can bunker down behind a rock & get a reprieve from the wind. The views are absolutely spectacular. The downhill back to the saddle is a little scary because the wind is right in your face. Just take it slow, maintain a grip on the rocks, and you’ll be fine. Once at the saddle the rest of the trip down was nice & relaxing. I did the 11 mile round trip in 5 hours flat. Most blogs will tell you 7-10 hours & this is probably true for a lot of people. I was alone & am a bear down, get to the top hiker so I did it faster. No matter what the temp is supposed to be…Take warm clothes!!!! Cold doesn’t bother me but at the saddle I had to put on a long sleeve which I am grateful that I took. Could’ve used a beanie & gloves though. Be safe at the top & enjoy literally being at the top of Arizona!!