Was curious about this loop since I haven't been on some of these trails since before Helene. I usually stick to the same route but hit these trails at least once a week. Did a lot of power hiking up the Hiker Only sections. Lots of big trees down on the route around the firetower, but there have been re-routes around some of them. I did the exact same route as the male FKT holder, starting at the men's bathroom at the lake. I agree that the original route encourages people to bypass the entrance station and paying the fee, and this starting point makes more sense. Also, the little spur to the parking lot loop in the original route at about 3.2 miles in is closed, so I went the same way as the male FKT there as well. The only deviation I had to make was clockwise around Sassafras loop, as the park changes the directions each month (hikers/runners one way, bikers the opposite way), which helps with safety on those steep descents. You can see bikers on most of the loop, but they are not allowed on Saturdays (and you can therefore run either direction around Sassafras on Saturdays), so if you are concerned about bikes slowing you down, you can aim to complete it on a Saturday. There are two public water fountains along the route - right at the start, and then another in the parking lot at the beginning of Sassafras. I carried 2.5L with me. There are also some creeks/water to splash on yourself to cool down, but I wouldn't rely on those for drinking or during a dry spell. I love these trails, as they're my home turf, so enjoy!