FKT: Marcy Beard - Chief Illini Trail (IL) - 2019-08-28

Athletes
Route variation
out & back
Gender category
Female
Style
Supported
Finish date
Total time
6h 24m 58s
GPS track(s)
Report

Out-and-back (north to south and back north) on the Chief Illini Trail, including the Little Illini Trail on the southern end.

Challenging route, in a different way than I'm used to. A gazillion spiders and spider webs - very glad this was an out-and-back so it was only a problem in the first half. 200 meters of bushwhacking through tall grass full of stickers - which covered my clothes and plagued me for the remaining hours. One set of nettles - that I really should have remembered/avoided on the way back but I didn't (d'oh!). Occasional trail-finding challenges on a vague trail - but not nearly as bad as Josh must have had it in the snow. And one ankle-deep mud bog - that was my own fault because I crossed a little inlet a little too sharply. Much of this trail could be improved simply by having more people on it. Plus a hack-down scythe job between mileposts 7.0 and 7.5. It's mostly quite beautiful, runnable, easy to follow, and would be really enjoyable if one is not covered in spiderwebs and stickers. For me it was a mental challenge and I'm just glad it's over!

Trip report: https://marcy-twss.blogspot.com/2019/09/chief-illini-trail-fkt-run.html