By the time we got to the trailhead it started spritzing (at least two hours ahead of schedule). When we began the steep ascent up Smith's Knob it started raining steadily, making the steep ascent very slippery. At the top of Smith's Knob the winds picked up to at least 25 MPH and it started hailing. And it all came from the direction of the viewpoints. I think I wiped my camera dry 50 times during the remainder of the hike and the photos were still speckled with blurry water dots. The descent down Smith's Knob was dangerous with the wind, hail and rain. It was one of the steepest descents we've done, and in the middle of a hail storm! We breathed a sigh of relief when we finally got to Painter Run which we followed all the way back to the park road. The trail here was unmarked and very slippery in the rain. We also had to cross it on slippery, widely spaced rocks. Suffice it to say, this was one of the more memorable hikes we've done. As Mitchell says, this is a "classic hike", filled with beauty. But the weather prevented us from enjoying it completely. Once it started raining it never stopped.