Fun loop! I really enjoyed running completely around the peaks and exploring trails I hadn't been on before.
My husband John came with me to the Inner Basin junction so he could get in some training and be part of the exploration. I carried all of my supplies the whole time, so it was a physically unsupported and psychologically partly-supported run :)
This wouldn't be an easy route for crew stations, with only two car-accessible spots and a lot of back road driving (and no water sources that I'm aware of). I was happy to try the "heavier pack" thing for once and it worked out.
I pushed the pace a bit to try to stay on 4 mph targets and managed it even with the challenge of the Kachina Trail at the end. Going clockwise might be nice, with those long gentle grades going in the downhill direction instead of uphill. But Waterline Road is wide open and would likely be exposed and hot on a sunny afternoon. I liked doing that part early and having some shade the rest of the time.
I could see this being an excellent 50K training course with faster runners tearing it up in the future. Thanks Mikey for setting this up as an FKT!