**Note that the trailhead for all south sister routes has changed. The Forest Service has now constructed blockades and laid branches across the old route from the highway, making it very clear that it’s closed and they don’t want it used. Due to this, I decided to go for the FKT using the new trailhead which only adds less than a half mile each way, rather than submit a new variation. For any of the FKTs starting from this trailhead, records can and should probably be made using the new longer route. It’s barely longer and respects the closure. I don’t like it, but I didn’t want a flagged fkt either.
My approach to this FKT was not focused. The night before I dreamed about this route and the Broken Top-SS route, all night because I hadn’t decided which to do. It’s a red flag to not know whether to run 18 or 38 miles. They are not the same.
I went with the longer route because I didn’t want to “push as hard.” I understand this is stupid and given how quickly I summited South, I should have done the shorter FKT. I felt a massive amount of internal pressure and doubt about being fast enough, that was silly. Anyway, it was 24* at the start. Cloudless sky and no wind on the ridge, very little on summit.
the route down to green lakes is tedious and not my favorite. Hit Park Meadow and then the 5 miles to the camp lake turnoff. This route is frustrating bc instead of going off trail for a circular circumnav, you head away from your objective for several miles before turning abruptly back toward it.
streams between Park Meadow and Soap Creek turnoff were running.
North Fork Wychus Creek is running but extremely silty, it’s where filters go to die. I didn’t filter anything but never do.
I did regret not getting water at Camp Lake bc Chambers Lakes are 1,000% dry. Gone. The trail from above Camp Lake back to the PCT is currently very hard to follow and not as I remembered it at all. Really rugged and not traveled much. No streams running on the west side besides one near mile 31, which was spring-fed. I was out of water for over 10 miles and that was my own fault.
returned to the SS climbers trail and headed back down to the car about 40 min ahead of current male FKT and an hour and 24 min ahead of the female.
I did quite a bit of hiking from mile 19- on. My legs didn’t like the runnable uphills, and around mile 26- on I was alternating running and hiking, so this fkt has a lot of room for improvement. I was not personally recovered at all from the 5 peaks fkt, but I got away with this one- excited to see how fast it can go, as it’s a great extra-long run with an interesting profile (more than half the vert is gained in the first 6 miles).