This hike was not nearly as bad as we were expecting. We wanted to save this hike for last, dreading how hard it would be, but glad we didn't! It did seem like a pretty long hike, and our bodies (mostly legs) definitely felt extra exhausted from having to do some extra uphill on the way back, but overall, it was not as hard as others say it is. There were a few big puddles from recent rain, some pretty orange and yellow leaves on some of the trees, and some nice views along the way. We kept hearing a very close helicopter in the mountains, but it must've been echoing really well because we never actually saw where it was. There was an old beat up car closer to the peak that was a fun place for a few pics also. We didn't stop at the old mines on this go, but I'd love to hike this trail again just to see the mines alone. The last scramble to the peak was pretty fun, and the peak itself was cold, but the views were great!