I started later in the day than originally intended, missing some of that sweet sweet morning cloud cover.
Climbing felt hard with 1.5L of water on my back along with the jacket and too much food, but I’m a little more cautious in the mountains than I used to be. I had placed a lot of faith in the Waterrock spring popping due to the previous night’s rain, but sadly she was dry. Nothing wrong with a thirsty afternoon I suppose.
If I could make any recommendation for whomever attempts this FKT next, it would be waiting until Winter or for a good early Spring rain. That final descent down to Pinnacle Park is a lot harder when covered with leaves, and no one needs to break their ankle on one of those boulders chasing an FKT. Amazing route as alway. I love the spicy climbs, I love the technical ridge running, and I love the routefinding.
Benchmarks:
Blackrock: 1:06
Waterrock Summit: 1:55
Sumter Cross: 2:30
Plott Balsam: 3:00