I ran this course south to north, which is a bit opposite from what most seem to have done but I think this was a good choice for me. The northern section is more technical; rocks, roots and uneven terrain, while the southern section is smoother, gorgeous pine needle covered. For the way I ran it, it started with around 15 miles of net downhill on the southern section, which even though fairly gentle, I would really have struggled with as an uphill a the end of the run. As it was, I did the downhill conservatively, then around mile 18 or so, started a steep climb (I always prefer a short steep climb over a long drawn out one!). The northern section was absolutely gorgeous, with a section of huge boulders and caves which were really cool to see! I left 2 drop bags for myself with water and snacks; one at the farmington river around mile 15.5 (which it turned out I didn't really need), and another at route 219 around mile 23 (which was perfect timing). This is a really beautiful course; some overgrowth in less traveled sections, and I struggled with navigation at a few places that had blowdown, but overall a great day!