The first three miles is up over uneven ground with loose rocks and slippery footing.  The next 3 1/2 miles to the summit is on a dirt fire road with gentler inclines and footing stable enough to look around and enjoy the views rather than watching every foot placement.  The morning was nippy but quickly warmed enough to shed layers, then cooled as we neared the top where the biting wind prompted us to put every layer on again.  The real treat – a very unexpected one – was having the fellow manning the tower come down to talk to us about the history of the lookout towers (High Point is the highest one in the state!) and the duties of the volunteer lookouts, which include a full 360º sweep of all the land within a 20 mile radius every 15 minutes.  He made the whole trek into a fantastic and truly memorable experience.  It was a great hike!