Kevin: I'll agree with you on C2C - a good workout, but not the most scenic desert hike. It's also at the point that it's a pretty crowded trail on the weekends in the spring and fall. At this point, I like to do it once in the fall and once in the spring but if I didn't live fairly close to it I wouldn't do it again.
The trouble with picking out the best day hikes is that we all have different limitations as to what we are able to do in a day.
