I ran solo and carried all gear, hydration, and nutrition from the start. I began and ended at the Baxter Creek Trailhead (at the bridge over Big Creek) and elected to run counterclockwise. Trails below 3,000 feet were in great condition, in the middle elevations patchy snow was lingering on the shaded sides of the mountains, and above 5,000 feet snow was fairly consistent with depths up to 3 inches. Outside of the snowy and sometime soggy trails, conditions were great with temps in the mid to low 40s. A fun and challenging course through some of the best high elevation ridge lines in this part of the Smokies. Thanks Matthew for posting the route and thanks to Jonathan for giving me a carrot to chase. I look forward to seeing others give this route a go and I may have to return myself for a snow free attempt.
Full run report in the Strava link.