I did this route as a mixed gender back in late 2023. It's a fun route that is definitely best done in the fall. After my big project in August, recovery has been coming along nicely. It's finally time to get back on the FKT horse. I figured this route would be a good place to start. I did an attempt with a buddy a little bit ago, but no FKT. Just a great time.
Made the 90 min drive to the parking lot, did my 1.5 mile warmup and was ready as I could have been on this day. I got started at 12:15 PM. Weather was beautiful and it was nice to sleep in on the day of an FKT. It was very chilly in the early morning and I figured the trails wouldn't be busy which led me to a later start. I was underway and the main goal here was to be careful. There were lots of down leaves and technical areas. I also had to be on top of navigation. I didn't have the route on a watch, I did have it on my phone and also studied the map before I took off. There were only a few main turns I had to remember. I brought a small running vest with 500ml of energy drink and a small flask full of maple syrup. I started off with a hard climb and my heart rate was through the roof in no time. I tried to take some deep breaths and remember that I haven't done this in a while, and I also have a long way to go. Considering my current fitness, I felt like I was running at a good pace. The fact that it's a somewhat technical route helped me out in this department. I still had to not let my mind wander off and stay focused on the task at hand. I came across many, many down trees which I had to step over or run around. It is apropos though being the wilderness section. I climbed up Anson Mountain, checked my phone to make sure I was at my turnaround point, and then started heading back. Approaching my final intersection where I had to make a left turn, there were probably about 20 high school kids there just hanging out. It was strange since we were out far and there was no one else on trail really. They all started cheering for me. I gave them a first pump and made my turn. I realized I was going to beat the current FKT by a bit, but I didn't let up. I ended on a downhill and stopped my watch at the starting point sign. I was happy to be done and very happy with how the day unfolded. Hopefully we have a good fall and I can sneak another one of these in before the long winter.
10:39 per mile average pace
1516 feet of elevation gain
FKT's rule!!!