One of the best sunrise hikes in the park, I started up Giant Mountain a couple hours before dawn and when the light started hitting the mountains across the valley it was a magical sight. A significant portion of the climb is on bare rock not covered by trees, so the views were pretty much nonstop after I climbed the first thousand feet. The hike over to Rocky Peak Ridge was quite slow going with steep scrambles and some bits of early season ice, but the summit of Rocky Peak Ridge was spectacular. It had the most unique alpine foliage I had seen at that point and the wide open summit offered views in just about every direction. After a long break (and I believe a quick nap as well) I headed back toward giant going down, then up, then finally beginning my final ascent. I reached my car just as the sun was setting and enjoyed a hot meal afterwards in Lake Placid before driving back to Canton.