Overall, the hike was nice. We started our hike a little after 6 am once it was light out but before the heat. But after about a mile or so into the hike, we started noticing more bugs buzzing around us. We stopped to apply more bug spray but that didn't seem to make a difference. I read that Bounce fabric sheets might work on warding off bugs, so I came prepared with some as well — That also did not work. Fortunately, I did have a bug hat net to wear.

For the most part, we did not have trouble following the trail. There were a few parts where it looked a bit overgrown. And as we got closer to the top, there appeared to be a couple of options you could take to get to the top. The last 0.2 miles was quite steep. When we made it to the summit, we were sad to find out that someone had hacked away the peak elevation sign. All that remains is the post. ????

If you were following the AllTrails app, it would have shown that you were not at the peak yet. So we followed the map to the point where it turned around, but that was lower ground from where we were. It led us to a small clearing, good for a campsite.

After a snack and taking in the 360 views, we headed back down the trail. Just past the rocky section but still a steep descent, my left foot slid downslope and my right ankle bent and made a “pop” sound. I thought I was fine until I tried to put weight on my right foot. My friend wrapped my ankle with an ace bandage. Then it was a long, slow hobble back… about 5 miles. Because the return trip was slower, it got warm. And since it was a shorter hike than some of our other ones, I had packed less food and water. I barely had enough to hold me over until we got off the trail.