FKT: Regina Massingill - South Rim - Emory Peak Loop (TX) - 2023-10-10

I've only ever done this trail once before, on a foggy day that blocked the views along the rim. I had no idea what I had been missing. This time, I wanted to push the pace instead of hiking, but still had to make several stops to enjoy the scenery. Since I'd done Emory Peak before, I was mentally prepared for the scramble at the top, but that didn't make it any easier to get done. I took a moment to collect my wits again before scrambling back down. I'm not very good with heights. With the main part of the climbing behind me, I cruised through the rest of the very runnable route, just stopping a few times for pictures and snacks. The weather was a lovely 59 when I started but was definitely approaching 70s by the time I finished. Since it was mid-week, there wasn't much traffic on the trail. I took some snacks and 2L of water. I went in the clockwise direction, since that seems to be the standard direction. I was happy to get Emory done early, and enjoyed having the long gentle descent in the 2nd half.