I can honestly say that this hike nearly broke me…no joke. There were several times I thought about faking an injury and calling for assistance, lol. Marion Mountain Trail may be the shortest trail up, but “they” aren't lying when they tell you it's the steepest. The only real break you get from a steady uphill climb is at the campground, then it's several more miles to the summit. To add insult to injury, once you reach the peak, you have to boulder hop another several hundred feet to get to the sign marker (which on that day, had just been removed 10 minutes prior by rangers because it was broken!). The way back down is equally as challenging as it never seems to end and the last 4 miles for me were pure agony every step…my Superfeet had stopped being so super! I will say that the trail is absolutely beautiful and the views from the top don't disappoint. I'd also suggest spending the night in town to acclimate; not sure if it made a huge difference, but it was nice to stay close to the trail head and get a good night's rest…