This trail is steep and strenuous -- gaining elevation quickly -- and it's easier to do this before the sun comes out in full force.
After climbing for a while, I look back and admire how high I've already come up from the valley below. An intersecting trail zig-zags up the mountain in a different direction. That's the trail for Hidden Canyon -- something I hoped to hike both times I've been in this park -- but ran out of time. There are so many amazing hikes in this park that it's impossible to do them all in one visit.
After the steep, exposed climb, the trail enters a more enclosed section with a very different landscape. It's cool and shady in here as I follow others on the trail.
