This was a nightmare. A gorgeous, painful, unexpected nightmare. If you've never ran here before, please know you will for sure not know which way to go on the loop at multiple points. But, woooie, it's a beautiful and peaceful route. I thoroughly enjoyed the soft pine needle trails and the calm lake views. I did not enjoy added on at least 45-60 minutes going out of my way and doing wrong extra loops. Also didn't enjoy limping the last 30 minutes or so.
While I didn't do the loop exactly right, I want to give the next person attempting this FKT as much info as possible in hopes your experience will be better than mine. First of all, the loop isn't marked super well--at times when there are maps, it doesn't always tell you where on the map you are or which way to go. In a few spots people have written with pen on the little white signs to indicate the direction to go, but I didn't notice until *after* I had gone the wrong (long) way around Luna and White Deer lakes. Also--and this is vital info for anyone attempting this FKT--at some point, I think around Four Ducks Lake, I had to WADE across a nasty, mosquito-infested marsh. You can see on my map that I wondered around for awhile because I thought surely I wasn't supposed to wade waist-deep through water, but the trail definitely went through there. I'm wondering if it was just flooded and not normally like that. It was nasty. If you attempt this FKT and find yourself in this situation, DO NOT stray from the trees/roots. That's how you end up waist-deep.
Anyway, I contemplated whether I should even submit this FKT because I did an embarrassing extra amount (garmin says 18.56 miles but it was actually AT LEAST 22) and I technically went the wrong way around White Deer Lake (but this was a divide in the trail that was NOT marked and I went the long way anyway). My goal here is for the next BAMF to attempt this to have some helpful tips, because if you've never been here before (like I hadn't) then it's a bitch to figure out. Fortunately, I've given the next lady plenty of wiggle room in the time!
Note: I did the loop clockwise. You're probably good doing it either way, I don't know that it would make a big difference. There were a couple big hills at the end, though.