This hike was so empowering! The weather was perfect, in the low 80s. I started at Chantry flats and decided to ascend through the Sturtevant trail; made sure to make a trip to see the falls which was such a beautiful sight. The climb was no easy task (for me at least), I struggle with anxiety and fear of heights so getting through some of the very narrow parts of the trail and the altitude was an extreme mental challenge. What kept me grounded through the entire hike was having my 12 year old daughters company :). Reaching the summit felt amazing!! It was great to have access to clean restrooms at the peak, and the Cosmic Café was superb. Descending felt a whole lot easier, and took less time. My daughter and I are not experienced hikers with this type of trail. We had hiked 6mile trails with an elevation no greater than 1K feet. It took us 11 hours to complete the loop, and according to my MapMyRun app we hiked 18.3 miles. Best experience ever!!