I took the day off for my birthday and finally decided to hike this trail. I arrived at around 3pm and the lot was mostly empty. The road in was rougher than I was expecting and it's long. It's like mini moguls in parts and there's really no way to go around them. It's kind of fun after awhile and my AWD Kona handled it well enough. It does get better closer to the trailhead and eventually even becomes paved again.
I made the mistake of hiking this on a mostly empty stomach and I was getting pretty winded at the end - the trail makes you work. I would recommend bringing some type of sweet snack for a little energy at the end. Views are incredible and you get them at many points on the trail especially for the last mile when it opens up - really impressive and makes for a very enjoyable experience. Bugs were a nuisance - mostly large flies and some wasps but they were very persistent and would follow me for long stretches. It did seem to get significantly better after I applied sunblock.
The trail was well marked and pretty easy to follow while clear of snow. It is VERY rocky though so make sure to pay attention and watch your step - I almost fell a few times and my shoes took a beating. Great trail - would hike it again for sure!
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