I've had a 15 year long love/hate relationship with these white blazes that started when I did my first southbound, and the complicated relationship continues. Stoked to complete the northbound direction successfully for the first time and snag the unsupported women's FKT. I wanted the overall women's FKT, but I'll take the unsupported as this was in true unsupported fashion without water for 5 miles. I carried 2 water flasks and various snacks in my Salomon pack, and I ran out of water at mile 17 heading up over the Parkway, and I knew there wasn't water access until mile 22. I was tempted to beg for water at Black Balsam but I didn't know the unsupported/self-supported/supported rules, so I dealt with my dry mouth and thirst and carried on to the water access at the Old Butt Knob turn off. I even kept my interaction with a random friend passing, Lisa near Cat Gap, to a bare minimum with a big grin and a winded "trying for a FKT!" to keep this truly unsupported. I do love that I always run into friends in the middle of the woods in Pisgah National Forest.
I had a few wrong turns, one at Farlow, but quickly turned around and corrected my mistake. And then I couldn't figure out the trail at the Black Balsam summit. I did several out and backs up and down the hill as I thought there was a left turn in that area. It seems all of the social/drainage trails have been cleaned up, and following the most obvious trail seemed to be the way. I was pleased with all of the improved trail signage in the Shining Rock Wilderness section, too.
My husband and 2 youngest kids met me at the Camp Daniel Boone trailhead. We sat and played in the river there, and then made the drive back to the Davidson River Campground where we were camping for the week.
Solid training run on top of a fun training week in my favorite woods. Art Loeb, I'll be back.