We originally were going to do this hike with an organized group, but took a wrong turn getting to the trailhead, and we missed them. Luckily, we ended up doing a completely different trail instead of the one they planned and wound up going up to Tom's Thumb.
apparently this is a recent edition to the trails here and we weren't disappointed. we started at 8:15am and it took us about 5 hours with frequent stops and a picnic up top. total mileage was 10 miles.
the trailhead itself is gorgeous, with copper facades and environmentally friendly bathrooms (although i don't know why you need such a fancy trailhead, it was nice all the same). the greeting rangers, another surprise, were super friendly and handed out free maps.
our hike took us uphill almost the entire time, through some daunting switchbacks, finally arriving at tom's thumb and several other huge boulders. apparently this is a good area for rock climbing as we saw some anchors and signs on the bigger rocks. also...mtn biking! fantastic lung/leg workout.
all in all a great hike. get out and have fun.