Saved the longest one for last!  I wanted to start earlier, and arrived at the park at 6:45am only to find out the park didn't open until 8am.  I carried all my water, even though the online info says there is potable water at a few stops along the way.  I checked one of the campsites where the outpost sign said there was water, but alas no water was to be had (more on this later).  During this time, the gate at the 3.5 mile mark is closed and locked.  There is a hole in the gate where you can go through.  Some people turned around, many people continued on.  Be advised that this is at your own risk because there are no rangers throughout the trail.  There were flowers/plants in bloom, many portions of the trail are very narrow, so you get sticky plant sap on your legs.  It's a heck of an operation to get them off afterwards.  Although I thought I packed enough water, it was not enough.  I ran out of water with 2.5 miles left, but was fortunate the last part is all downhill.  I stopped five times during the hike, and it took about 11 hours to complete.  But I'm done!