I haven't done all these hikes but I am familiar with a few, and have reservations about including Cactus to Clouds in the top 10 hikes in the US. Some of the hikes (but not all) require above average stamina, and this hike is one of them. However, while it's a real grunt, it's not particularly scenic. On the scores of hikes I've done in the US Southwest, it's pretty average in that department. And do you really need a beer and burger and all that goes with it at 8K'?
If you want a desert hike that will test your stamina, do the Badwater to Telescope. That one actually is scenic, especially once the Sierra comes into view.
