I was a little worried since this was my first time hiking alone. When you start out, there are tons of people everywhere because they're all going to the waterfall, but when you get past the falls, suddenly you're alone and in the woods and then the frequency with which you run into people decreases. the tree cover is so shady that it's almost dark in some parts. that was what I really liked most because it feels like you're in a miyazaki movie.

That's the nice part. the difficult part is after you pass the campground and it goes from casual forest stroll to death march seemingly all at once. I realized after my first 35 minutes on this portion of switchbacks that (1) you should always bring way more water than you think you're going to need, and (2) don't think you're hot shit and keep an unrealistic pace at the beginning portion of any hike like

I got a little worried that I would blow through my water supply which consisted of one 40 oz hydro flask and a 25 oz backup bottle and only took little sips whenever I got thirsty. but what's a good hike without momentary anxiety that you might die of dehydration.

The best part of this hike in my opinion, is the cosmic cafe. you're so tired when you get to the top, that frankly a can of dog food would taste delicious but surprisingly the sandwiches they sell at that little stand are pretty decent. I got a turkey sandwich and a root beer float. I should point out that this is the first I've had soda in probably 4 years but something about a root beer float at that moment seemed so good I just had to have it.

Not super interested in telescopes to be honest. they provide an interesting backdrop to the summit more than an extension of the overall hike experience like you might think. You can't see inside any of them which is a bummer. the really weird think is that you end up co mingling with other hikers and people who just drove to the top for the telescopes and the view and that kind of jolts you out of your feeling of isolation but I honestly didn't mind this like some people might.