Maybe because of lack of sleep night before this was brutal started at 0630 finished around 1845.  This is number 5 of my personal 6 for 60 turn 60 in a couple weeks.  Must say it was a perfect day at the peak. The down hill on the ski hut trail was hard for a down hill looks like there have been lots a little slide and some of the trail covered in rocks.  We did see a couple of deers while at the hut which caused us to take wrong trail from the hut so we had to retrace steps back up to get on real trail.  The fire road never seemed to appear until it was finally there.  This is first time doing this hike counter clockwise.  But it had been 10 years since being on this trail