I have done this loop before, but going the other direction. I did this with my kids and son-in-law with backpacks just to get some practice hiking with some weight. This was for getting ready for our summer 3 day hiking trip in the Sawtooths. It was different for sure with a full backpack for sure, but not too bad. The day was nice. I liked the hike the other way around, but we all did ok.