With my sister coming back into town, and logistics for races proving too difficult, we thought we'd send off 2023 with an FKT attempt. The East-West Trail seemed reasonable in terms of location, length, and familiarity, and so the decision was made.
My sister (Ellie), my friend (Clara), and I started a little after 9 am, and Clara and I ran together for the first 10ish miles, but she split off just before we reached the Bluffs. The trail up to the Bluffs was a bit snowy and icy, but manageable. East of the Bluffs, things started to get muddy. In particular, the stretch along Monarch and the north side of Grigs Road were awful. The last 4-5 miles were drier, or at least the mud was more avoidable. Another friend joined hopped in for a bit towards the end, and I passed my mom and friend (ride home) in that section. There was a funny little construction detour on Santa Fe, but no big deal.
I ran with my Salomon pack, carrying a flask with Nuun and a flask with water. I ate two Spring Energy along the way, at 12ish and 20ish.
After resting at the finish, went back out to run Ellie in to her finish.