On September 16, 2021 I ran the Buckhorn Trail in the north unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. I started at 9:33 am from the trailhead on the SE part of the loop where it crosses the scenic drive. I went counterclockwise.
It was a beautiful cloudy day with temps in the 60s. The leaves were starting to change and views from the plateau were spectacular. I surprised a heard of buffalo as I ran over a ridge. There were a lot of prairie dogs on the west side of the loop. This is another beautiful, remote loop in the North Dakota Badlands!
I consumed 1/2 liter of water and 100 calories. I ran by myself, unsupported. I saw a few people near the Cannonball Concretions parking lot, otherwise I didn’t see anyone. The fastest time I could find ahead of time on Strava in either direction was around a 12:26 pace. I finished the loop at 11:24, about a 9:47 pace. I could have gone faster but I stopped to take a lot of pictures and held back a little because I had a big FKT project the next day. I don’t really like holding back on an FKT, but at least this establishes a time for others to aim for.