After trying this last July and stopping 3 miles short of finishing the route I have been thinking about trying this again. I started the bike at midnight and was forced to ride slowly through some thick fog. Around 30 miles into the bike a coyote ran out of the woods at me and continued to stalk me for a few minutes. Every so often it would charge and I would yell to make it back off. It caught me on the only steep hill I couldn’t ride away from quickly enough to lose it. Eventually I let it charge closer and I sprayed with my bear assault canister. That was enough for it leave me alone thank goodness! So scary! I’ve always brought the bear spray for solo adventures through the dark and this was the first time I had to use it. I finished the bike and made my way up to Carter Notch Hut as the twilight hours of sunrise began. I hit the first hut and then did the full hut to hut route all the way to Lonesome Lake Hut, then backtracked the van to finish in just over 23 and a half hours van to van. Adding the bike before the hut to hut is a good challenge on the legs and adding the 5 miles or so to and from the end huts really ups the challenge of a standard hut to hut. Trails were very wet but otherwise great weather and I got to experience the sunset while heading up into alpine zone on Mt Lafayette! I love that the picnic variation allows someone the ability to experience this whole adventure solo and without support other than the huts. I did get some food from the huts and an incredible lemonade from Lake of the Clouds Hut. Amazing adventure and one I will certainly remember forever!