We had talked about doing this route for some time, and the stars aligned for us to attempt it on the hottest day imaginable. We started close to 10 am and went counter clockwise, starting with the paved section. The first couple miles felt controlled and were enjoyable. The heat didn't feel too bad until we dropped in elevation into the bed of the old reservoir. The sun and humidity were intense coupled with sandy trail conditions. We were starting to feel the effects of this heat wave as we looped around the bottom of the dam at mile 4. Once the trail was wooded again, we came across the only stream along the route, and we had a much needed splash. This rejuvenated us for a couple miles. The last mile or so was unmaintained with chest high vegetation and a few blowdowns, but we powered through knowing we were almost done.
This route would be really fun to re run on a colder, less humid day. It was fun to be out there together!