While I agree that this is spectacular trail, it is also one of the most difficult. I have been maintaining this trail for more than 15 years, and I am always amazed that people with little or no hiking experience choose this trail as one of their first. The trail gains 900 feet in elevation in half a mile and there are places where a hiker needs to use their hands to get up, meaning that poles will not always help, rather they could be a hindrance.
There are also many areas on the ascent where the climber is exposed to steep drop offs, this is part of why I love the trail, but I have seen people get stuck. When the rocks are wet (like now), it can be that much more treacherous.
If you do the trail, you will find some of the steepest sections have an alternate routes marked out with "X" blazes, which I would recommend.
The first side trail you encounter will be on the right and is the Undercliff Trail, a yellow blazed trail. It has a short, steep rocky route, with some ups and downs, to the red Brook Trail. If you follow the Brook Trail to the road, you will need to walk through the tunnel to get back to your car. This is not a popular cut-off.
About 3/4 of a mile further you will come to the most popular cut-off on the left, at a rocky knob. The Breakneck Bypass trail is a red dot on a white background and drops quite steeply down to the yellow Wilkinson Trail. This leads to the large parking lot just north of the Breakneck trailhead.
About a half mile further, just after an open summit, the trail meets the blue Three Notch trail on the right., and runs north with the white trail for a good while. Many people also take this trail down to the south, meeting up with the red Brook Trail, described above.
All of the above routes go up and come down steeply, and none of them are easy on the knees. There are some easier trails just across the river in Storm King State Park that lead to some views that are almost as good, with a lot less exposure. You can climb Butter Hill and Storm King Mountain on the yellow Stillman Trail from the northbound lane of Rt 9W or the under appreciated blue Howell Trail from Storm King Highway (Rt 218).