With no snow or ice on the trail, I was able to shave off more than 3 hours from my first FKT on this route on March 7th, 2020. Temperatures were much colder than I was anticipating, with a 16F reading in the car as I arrived at the start. I had trouble with my water hose freezing for about the first two hours... eventually just left it up my sleeve to keep from freezing. My pack weighed 8lbs this time, about 2lbs less than my last attempt, mainly due to taking a less water and filling up in streams with a Katadyn filter. There are some serious washouts that are starting to take out the trail as it runs along Glen Creek. Be very careful! It's at least a 100ft drop over the edge, and further landslides would be possible, especially in wetter weather! I can't guarantee that I won't take another stab at a faster time - I had some pretty severe knee pain starting around mile 13, but thankfully it seemed to be manageable after around mile 26.
Athletes
Route variation
one way
Gender category
Male
Style
Unsupported
Finish date
Total time
11h
1m
50s
GPS track(s)
Painted-Watkins-Wood-2.gpx739.63 KB
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