Mt. Equinox has been a stunning backdrop to the farm I've worked on for the past year. I've been fortunate to spend lots of time romping around its trail system and hiking up to its summit. Wowzas it is steep! After a good summer marathon training block, I decided to give the FKT a whorl. With an early wake up time of 5:30, I drove over to the Red Gate Trailhead on a beautiful morning with a temperature around 60 F. I started behind the red gate next to the parking lot carrying no gear and quickly found myself breathing heavy - its hard to settle into this run given that it rises immediately, and over 2700 ft in just over 2.5 miles. I was ahead of pace after mile one but the second mile is relentlessly steep! I made it to the top in 40:20 and ran a lap around the summit building before heading back down. I felt like I was really able to fly on the downhill and that's where I made up lots of time. I finished at the parking lot just after the red gate. A super fun and technically challenging route that's worth doing at least once. I'm continually amazed how one mountain can test our endurance, be an avenue for reflection, a sanctuary for our spirits, and a gentle reminder to care for the world a little more.