I wanted to set a challenge for myself on this trek. I had only hiked as far as 16 miles in one day in my hiking career so I thought I could accomplish this in one day. I was not wrong. Welch Creek Rd was probably one of the most sketchy roads I have ever driven on. The road is two lanes but at the size of one. I managed to narrowly avoid a cow that was around a turn. I have learned that if you want parking at trails, get there at 8 am at the latest. I had a late start in the morning and got there at 10:30 am. Surprisingly there wasn't any issue finding parking right at the front of the trail head. The hike overall was fantastic despite the cow pies littering the trail/ landscape. It was pretty well maintained so no treacherous climbing was needed. Because I got there late I ended up hiking in the dark for about an hour and a half. I didn't have any issues because I had trekking poles and a headlamp. Very exciting stuff!