Hiking in mid-May was the perfect weather for this hike. Started around 6 AM and ascended for most of the Winter Creek Trail in the shade. Winter Creek Trail has a set of switchbacks that are manageable and just when you think you've had enough of them, keep going – because that means you're almost to the end of the switchbacks to the top of that portion of the trail.

The descent down Sturtevant Trail was a bit challenging for me – there were several areas where the trail had a lot of large rocks creating step-downs that can get tiresome to navigate.

At the very end of the hike is about a seemingly short ‘climb' to the parking lot on a paved fire road which feels like an eternity to walk up after a 14 mile day.