I love the Kings-Elk loop and was excited to attempt the double loop again this year. I ran the loop clockwise starting and ending from the Elk Creek TH, and ran solo and unsupported carrying all of my own food, water, and gear.
I had a beautiful and fantastic day in the mountains! It was an ideal day for this effort with cool temps and overcast skies. The initial climb up Kings brought mist and blooming wildflowers but unfortunately no views. Scree on the traverse section was a bit worse than usual and I wasn’t as fearless on the descents as I’ve been on previous runs. A few sporadic rain showers kept the run cool but made for slippery rocks and scree on the first ascent and descent of Elk.
On my second loop, I paused to filter a liter of water along the Wilson river trail. Then it was back up Kings again, this time with a bit of sunshine and even a couple of views! Scree on the second loop was a little more compact after the rain and some hiker traffic which was very welcome. After scrambling up Elk for the second time, I was confident I had the record and happily zipped down the mountain to claim the crown.
My main goals for this run were to crush my previous double loop time while unsupported, and to take a crack at the men’s time. I’m stoked to report that I smashed both goals and completed the double loop in 5:27:45!