Here's the timeline of our hike (group of 3) - I hope this will help other beginner hikers get an idea of how long the hike might take:
11pm - Start! Very easy, leisurely pace, goofing off
3am - Trail Camp, spent 1 hour here (the water situation was the only thing we were unprepared for)
4am - Depart Trail Camp, VERY difficult from this point on (past Trail Crest, I felt like I had to stop every 10 steps!), snail-pace at ~1mi/hr LOL
9am - Summit!
10am - Depart summit, long break at Trail Camp
4:30ish? - Trailhead
Aside from weekend training hikes, I don't work out at all, and I definitely wish I had done more cardio conditioning. The hike took much longer than we anticipated, but it's certainly do-able for beginners!
My most important piece of advice for other newbies planning a trip:
GET YOUR WATER AT TRAILSIDE MEADOWS, DON'T WAIT UNTIL TRAIL CAMP!!
