This is by far the best hike I’ve done to date. The trail included an excellent variety of terrain including some whimsical stream crossings near the start and no God awful stone paths.

The temperature swing from the bottom to the top I would estimate was about 30 degrees. I was okay with long sleeves and pants towards the top, but some sort of a jacket or shell would’ve been made the summit more comfortable as the wind was strong.

It was fascinating to co-exist with ecosystem throughout the hike. Although no bears or wildcats were spotted, I did come across a few fleeting chipmunks near the top along with blue and orange butterflies as well as dragonflies (some blue ones) and many non-threatening bumblebees busy with pollination duties. Also seemed like there were plenty of crickets making their own form of music along the way.

The trail itself was moderate for the most part with a good climb for the first two-thirds of the way up. This changed to become a bit more of a challenge during the last 1/4 to the top with looser, dirt ground, more annoying stones and what seemed like a little less oxygen due to the altitude. Nevertheless, it was a terrific experience overall, particularly some of the fellow hikers I encountered toward the top. One offered me a piece of tangerine, another asked me if a shark was a fish, and someone else who took a picture of me at the summit. The only notable downside was the excessive $30 parking fee.