My goodness I was pleasantly surprised by just how gorgeous this hike was! I was the first person on the trail, in fact I didn't see anyone else until 1/4 of the way back down. The first several miles are challenging for sure simply because it is continuously uphill and direct sun, but when you emerge into more level territory you end up in what feels like the middle of the forest. There was snow still on the ground mostly off trail, but a feel stretches of 10-20 feet that needed to be crossed cautiously because the snow had clearly been melting and refreezing. Because I was the first person up for the day, I had some unique experiences. I scared a young big cat of some kind that took off running away down the trail and then into the trees. When I entered the path to the main summit, I also scared a squirrel who screamed at me, ran up a tree, and menacingly hung over the trail glaring at me. My biggest fear starting this hike was the fire road coming back down the steep miles, but it actually was perfect. This fire road is mostly compacted dirt and decomposed granite instead of the infill rocks often used that make the decline slippery. Footing and stability was excellent.

In the end, the photos speak for themselves. This hike reminded me that I live in one of the most stunningly beautiful places.