I have been dreaming and scheming this one up for a bit, and finally did it! I went the same direction as Max and Jackson (clockwise) and started just prior to sunrise to avoid finishing in the dark and being more familiar with the first few miles. Although the toughest terrain was in the back half, there were plenty of water sources for the later miles. I carried all of my supplies, including water, but did fill up on an unnamed creek on Upper Chetco Trail before Bailey Mountain Trail. There wasn’t another soul to be seen out there except for a deer. Lots of wildflowers and exceptionally rugged beauty despite not being able to enjoy the expansive views.
I had planned to do this in a week, but temps are expected to be 90+ so went for it. It was very cold, windy, and rained the entirety of the day. Weather needs to be a consideration for this route as it is very exposed and due to the remote nature of this route, it could be a safety concern. I would probably recommend late spring or fall for future attempts.
The Kalmiopsis is a true gem, and I am so grateful to the Siskiyou Mountain Club for their dedication to bringing back and maintaining our trails. Some of the spots, namely the Kalmiopsis Rim Trail between Babyfoot Lake Rim Trail and Emily Cabin Trail, were cleared of brush, which on a prior scouting mission was pretty gnarly. There were still stretches of trail that had quite a bit of brush to navigate, and I lost the trail a couple of times. The largest navigational challenge was heading down to Vulcan Lake due to it being socked in and not being able to see the lake in combination with the highly technical descent.
I will definitely be exploring this wilderness more extensively and would love to attempt the FKT in the other direction when I can enjoy the views. As others have said, I am not sure that one way is truly advantageous over the other, I think it all comes down to personal preference and strengths. I decided clockwise because I didn't want to be anxious about water and felt confident in my ability to grind a big climb late in the day. If I go the other direction, I will report back!