For this hike I decided to take Echo Canyon trail instead of the Cholla trail. I figured that parking was the last thing I should worry about so I decided to take the so-called “more difficult” and “steeper” but shorter trail instead of Cholla Trail. The trail lived up to its reputation. It was steeper, there were parts of the trail that seemed to me to be toned-down versions of the Hunter Trail to Picacho and the Siphon Draw trail to the Flatiron without the vertical wall. The wildflowers were about. I even saw a chuckwalla lizard. Despite the difficulty of Echo, it is a popular trail due in part no doubt to the availability of parking as opposed to Cholla where one has to park somewhere else instead of at the trailhead. There were a lot of people on the trail although at the summit there was more than enough room.  It took me 4 hours to complete the hike including breaks plus the extended time up at the summit. Still, it felt good since I only had Fremont Saddle to plan for after bagging this peak.