FKT: Lauren Hendrickson - Knobstone Trail (IN) - 2023-05-13

It was a good day to be on the Knobstone! I was dropped off at Deam Lake to start. The overcast helped keep the heat down for the morning but it was warm at 66°. There was plenty of water at Jackson Hole and other streams but did not refill until later. I carried an insulated bladder and 2 bottles (started with ~80 oz total, double Skratch scoop in bottles to start). I purified water along the water in streams around miles 20, 30, 40 (used new LifeStraw squeeze bag, would recommend!) More water than I planned but it was warm and it was plentiful so took advantage.
Around mile 25, nearing Leota the sun started to come out and all the water that had soaked the foliage in the morning started to dry and it heated up to around 82°. I knew I wasn’t well acclimated so I kept well hydrated, took salt tabs and dunked my hat in as many streams as I could. I carried trekking poles and used them on some uphills. Trail was getting overgrown and lots of spiderwebs and down trees. The rain has washed a lot of the leaves off of the trail but can be muddy. 
This was my first KT attempt and first 50 mile distance. It went surprisingly well, always some trouble shooting but felt ready enough to try it. Pack weighed in around 10 pounds with water, snacks and some first aide.