Bugs, bugs, bugs!  If I haven’t been direct enough thus far, please understand the bugs are unreal for essentially the entire trail. Hopefully, you have a bug net, but if not you’ll want to invest before you set out on this journey.

I’m pretty sure the bug net saved my life. Yes, I had the absolute pleasure, for the first time in my life, of inhaling a giant black fly through my nose. Indeed, it felt like it was on a sprint to my brain. After carefully attempting to extricate said fly from my nose via tissue 3 times, the fly graciously made its exit. I’m happy to report, the fly lived and so did I.

The remainder of the hike was fairly pleasant thanks to my bug net. Not only did it save me from the flying bugs, but it also saved me from the spider webs which were intricately weaved between the branches over the narrow trail through which you walk.

You will certainly want to download the trail map prior to starting the hike. The trail map is likely the only reason why I’m home and not still on the mountain.

Also, I took my dog and he learned how to rock scramble today. However, I would probably not take him on this hike again. It was a bit much considering the amount of rock scrambling to reach the peak.

It gets hot early on this trail and the trek to the peak is mostly fully exposed. Bring lots of water. We started at 0630 and it was blazing hot by 0830.

Once you reach the summit, it will be abundantly apparent that the struggle was all worth it, including the bug inhalation. You will not be disappointed. The boulders provide such a remarkable scenic site overlooking the area including the deep canyon below. Soak in the views on the boulders and take some fantastic photos!