Another fun birthday adventure!!
I completed this route on my birthday. Backing up - I attempted to complete the route with 3 friends back in October, but I bailed after 20 miles. Knowing the weather can be very unpredictable in January, I fully anticipated that would happen again and had a plan for bail-out options. But, it was my birthday, so I thought I'd at least get a few miles on the trail as long as the conditions weren't awful. Best case scenario being an FKT.
I started just before 3 am. I decided to take the same direction - clockwise - but begin where I stopped back in October on Six Mile Run Rd. I had about 4k calories packed - a mix of gels and real food and my 1liter BeFree flask with filter. I knew I'd have a ton of places to fill up, so I didn't worry about carrying a lot of water. I also carried emergency gear - blanket, first aid, etc. My comfort item? Another pair of shoes! I was very worried about my feet. The shoes I was wearing had great grip for what I knew would be a technical trail, but I worried my toes would get mashed. I knew it was extra weight, but I felt much better knowing they were there. I used poles the whole time and I have a sling bag I carry on my front - hyperlite pack on my back.
The first 7 miles were absolutely grueling. The trail is very technical in this section to begin with. It had rained off and on the whole week which was great because it had melted the 3 inches of snow that were previously on the trail, but the temps dropped rapidly and all that rained turned into ice. I quickly decided this section would be very slow and careful, and it was. I slipped and fell several times but nothing damaging except to my ego. Next section was the bulk of the climbing for the day, and I was happy to get that done. The trail opened wide into a jeep road and it was a nice reprieve even though I was going uphill. I saw one person tenting in this section then saw sunrise right before the 10 mile mark. I took off my headlamp and got to run some fun downhill single track.
Around 10 am it begin a light snow, then a hard small snow like little balls, then a big fluffy snow. Altogether no more than an inch, but it lasted almost 3 hours with it going from fun to not so fun by the end. I got to the halfway mark right about when it stopped snowing. I saw two cars in the little parking lot there. This would've been a good bail spot, but I felt good, so I kept going. I had my mini frosting cookie sandwiches to celebrate. Now, I was on familiar territory, and I knew the next section was very very technical. This side of the mountain was sunny and hardly any snow! I quickly discovered, though, the small spots where snow did stick, there it was covering sheets of ice and I needed to slide on my butt a couple of times just to make sure I was upright. So, this technical section got even slower than I anticipated. It has great views, though, so I enjoyed it. I saw a couple and a solo hiker, so I figured those were the two cars.
The next section had me turning to another part of the mountain, so the snow was back but not as much terrifying ice and the rest of the route would be net downhill. I could see that there were no tracks in front of me, so I knew it was unlikely anyone else was on the trail. By now, it was pretty late in the day too. I kept eating really well and kept drinking. The last few miles I backed off, though, just because I wanted to get done. I had to do some troubleshooting with my socks that were digging into my calves - happy I had a pocket knife - and, pulled out my hand warmers as the sun set. It started to snow again. My choice in clothing went well as I had only a slight chill. Any more and I would've been sweating, and that's when I get really cold, so it was better to have a tiny chill. My feet and hands and head and core were all toasty warm. I kept going through the night probably checking my map too often to see how close I was. Some downed trees and very very slick trail had me slower than I wanted toward the end.
Oh! Other things to mention that are now out of order - I saw a porcupine in the early morning! He waddled away. I saw 3 deer and 1 bird right by my head that caused a ruckus and scared me - no other wildlife. The water was all crystal clear and cold. It was easy to find plenty of water to filter and being in the winter meant that water levels were low enough that I could keep my feet mostly dry. I thought of my friends out there, did some singing, and listened to a podcast for a bit at night. Oh, and I used electrolyte tablets instead of powder to save on weight and not have to have a separate container for a drink. The ice was so scary - I have to mention that again - there were a few times I was sure I was going to slip to the left off of the cliff. Good portions of the trail have a steep drop-off. I had booked a cabin nearby for recovery and had some pizza and a birthday cake pop to celebrate.
What a fun trail! It is definitely more technical than any map will show, and I could see this trail being very wet in the Spring. There is a DCNR office nearby for checking in.
Also, I want to recognize Tara "Link" Gordon who I know had completed this trail as solo unsupported but not submitted an FKT. Her time was 19:32:45 in tough conditions. She helped me with advice, inspired me, and is a great human.
Humbly submitted,
-Hot Pants.