This loop has been on my list for awhile. The first time I was going to run it, the water crossing at the North end of Lower South Branch Pond was deep, cold and flowing fast. This time the crossing was easy to get across without even getting my feet wet. As usual, I ran this solo. I left my vehicle in the South Branch lot with my running pack full of snacks, 1L water and a filter. As I started out running by the ranger station, I got called back for a "safety check". After a few minutes of ensuring I was going to be safe and prepared, he let me head out, insisting I sign in and out of all registers, which I do anyways. The traverse up and over South Branch Mt and Black Cat Mt has been trimmed back, but there's still a lot of loose rocks heading down the south side. I filtered water at the South end of Upper South Branch Pond and then headed up to start the Traveler Loop as there are no water sources beyond that point. The weather was chilly, but refreshing. The trail markings approaching Peak of the Ridges are pretty hard to follow right now, and this is coming from someone who runs this 6-7times a year, every summer/fall. I had to pause quite often to make sure I was headed in the right direction. The sections between Peak of the Ridges and Traveler Mt and then from Traveler to North Traveler are also very overgrown, making it really hard to see what your running across. Definitely slow going. From North Traveler back down to the Pond, it was just the normal loose rocks and bad footing.
All in all, a perfect day to be out on the mountains in Baxter SP.