The road in -- either Fire Control Rd from 87 near Pine or Houston Mesa Rd from Payson -- is in good shape. Smooth, only some washboarding, no deep gravel pits. Easy 2WD. There's no big climbs on this hike, just a nearly endless series of wash crossings which really add up. There's a bunch of scattered small fire spots, an acre here, a few acres there, but really the forest appears in good shape. Lots of trees and vegetation. Great views all around. Could feel the elevation difference within the first hundred yards. (Geronimo TH elevation is 5900 feet, max elevation 6450.) Maintained my target pace of ~3mph for the first half of the hike, but began scaling back after that. Was hoping to go to the Railroad Tunnel, but by 7.5 miles in, I was done. Passed some other hikers, heading west, about a mile short of the Washington TH; asked them if their Rottweiler could give me a ride. Tweaked my right (previously sprained knee) putting a foot wrong on all the rocks Stillernator mentioned, but today it is my left knee that is stiff. Go figure.