This was my first solo peak challenge. I was honestly afraid of hiking such a long distance all by myself, & the flyer of a missing young man posted at the trailhead only made my anxiety worse…I was so close to turning back & saving that hike for another day, but the fact that I had woke up at the crack of dawn & drove over 100 miles to get there convinced me to stay & at least attempt the challenge. The trail was beautiful and well shaded by trees for the most part…it’s more exposed as you get closer to the peak. There were very few people on that part of the trail that day, I learned that most opted for the shorter version (took the tram) when I got to the peak. I was thrilled to have hiked through part of the Pacific Crest Trail for the very first time…made hiking the extra mileage well worth it!! Climbing all the gigantic rocks to get to the peak was challenging & a new experience. Overall hike was tough, but amazing! It was a great time for me to do some soul searching and healing. Total hike was 19.5miles and it took me 10.5hrs to complete. Glad I stuck with it & decided to hike my own hike.