There isn't much to tell about the climb itself except to say that it was a wee bit tiring. I certainly didn't make it before the sun found me, but as I was among the trees most of the way, and as there was a bit of cloud cover, the temperature never became a problem. This sign marks the end of the steepest part, where the rocky plateau begins. It'll be another two miles before reaching water, but I still had half a liter, and was feeling good, if somewhat worn out. Hard to believe, this early in the morning, that I'd been hiking for four hours already.