FKT: Aubri Drake - Cranberry Lake 50 (NY) - 2022-04-23

Athletes
Route variation
Standard route
Multi-sport
No
Gender category
Non-binary
Style
Unsupported
Start date
Finish date
Total time
13h 57m 18s
GPS track(s)
Report

I started and finished at the trailhead on South Shore Rd, Wanakena, NY. I started off clockwise just shy of 6am and sunrise with all of my calories and 1 L of water; it was 30 degrees. I made good time on the road and then entered the woods by the ranger school. The trails over to the other paved section weren't too bad, though I encountered at least a dozen downed trees and had to go over, under, or around them.

The 2nd paved section was a relief and I shuffled along until the trail turns off the road, with ~38 miles left to get back to my car. Then the fun began. The trail was very frequently flooded with anywhere from 1-2" of wet mud and rotted leaves up to 3' deep water, along with at 5+ dozen downed trees. I had to ford knee-deep water multiple times around lake and pond inlets; a few times I was able to bushwhack into the surrounding forest to avoid the water on the trail but most of the time, I just had to go through it. It never got above 50 degrees all day, and the water was all freshly melted snow; so I couldn't feel my toes for the entire second half. Whenever I stopped to filter water, I'd get chilled and it would take 10 minutes of running to get my hands warmed back up.

I was able to keep up with nutrition well, and only fell behind on hydration once but was able to catch back up pretty easily because it was so cool. My gear was perfect and I didn't end up with any blisters or chafing, though my feet felt pretty terrible for the last few hours after my skin was completely saturated. I was able to run my 4th and 3rd miles before the finish and powerhiked the 2nd and 1st miles at 16min/mi pace, arriving back at my car at dusk. Overall, a long, tough but triumphant day.