ran unsupported, started with 3L of tailwind and refilled along the way. conditions have been dry for the past few weeks but there was still an occasional water source if you aren't picky. ran west to east - not sure it makes much of a difference.
decided to try to avoid the heat and humidity by running through the night - that allowed me to trade mid 80s and sunny for mid 60s and moderate humidity. honestly even that was too much for me - i just don't handle the heat well. also i ended up wasting a lot of time getting lost - hard to find the trail in spots with just a headlamp and i've never been on this trail before. maybe not the smartest move but a good learning experience. so i guess i wouldn't recommend a nighttime traverse to anyone unless they have a really hard time dealing with the heat and they feel compelled to try in the summer months.
the first 15 or so miles and last 10 miles were probably my favorite sections. quite a few rock scramble areas and great views. middle was much more runnable.
note on gps - my watch died suddenly after 8 hours, so there's a small gap in coverage between the 2 activities. i used strava app for the rest of trip. calculating total time based off clock at start (5:52:43pm) and finish (8:04am). guess i'm in the market for a new watch.