I completed the Tour de Snowy Range the day before this, so my expectations regarding pace were not high but I was expecting somewhere in the 5.5-7 hour range. I feel with very fresh legs I could have shaved 30-60 minutes off my time, so it can go faster but the men’s time is incredibly impressive! There is about 6 miles of off trail travel with what feels like never ending boulder fields. I started gaining elevation near Atlantic Lake and ended up descending the same way. I was curious about the direct ascent/descent from the valley, but I try to avoid loose rocks and it didn’t look that pleasant of a descent (maybe a climb instead?). I brought an ice axe but never used it. There were some mellow snowfields that were fun to run/slide across on the way down. I didn’t see any evidence of anyone being up there all season. There were a few campers at the lakes along the route, but the trail was really quiet.