My partner and I got an early start and showed up just as the gates were opening at 6am. It was still dark when we began our hike, but the trail is well-maintained so it didn't cause any issues. The sunrise was beautiful and definitely worth the early morning start. Although the trail is classified as “moderate,” there are few switchbacks so it gets quite steep in places and there are quite a bit more stone steps than I anticipated so it was quite the workout. The early start gave us plenty of time to take water breaks and enjoy the view along the way. The landscape is riddled with interesting rock formations. This is a popular trail, so it got crowded at some points (we chose not to wait in line for the potato chip rock photo op), which slowed us down a little but overall it was a pleasant hike. This was a great hike to kick off the challenge and a fun way to start the year!