FKT: Brianna Grigsby - Finger Rock-Pontatoc Loop - 2025-03-06

Thanks to the work of Eric Ruljancich and team, there is now a trail connecting Finger Rock and Pontatoc to make a 7ish mile loop! I scoped out this trail for the first time on March 6th, running up Finger Rock and down Pontatoc, taking the women's CR on the new route. I have not tried the counter-clockwise direction yet; I suspect the clockwise direction is faster since running fast down Finger Rock is hard due to how steep and technical it is. The new section of Pontatoc is smooth and flowy; after the new 2 mile section, you hit the old Pontatoc Trail which is rocky and technical. I just carried a handheld bottle and a waist belt; can't remember what I ate besides the drink mix in my bottle since I'm submitting this a few weeks later!