Perfect weather for my FKT attempt. Forty degrees at the start, getting up in the 60’s. Around 6:20, my husband dropped me off at the southern trailhead of the Bartram Trail nest the SC line. Ran my headlight for the first hour and a half. Someone had cut all the downed trees in the first 4 miles. Thanks to them, since it was tough going when we backpacked it last month.
Made it to Speed gap in 3:06, Warwoman Dell in 5:11. Refilled water and used my BeFree filter at Warwoman, then filled other bottle at Martin Creek Falls. Took a moment to shift food around to make it more accessible, added Nuun endurance to my bottle, snapped a pic, then back at it.
It was tough getting to Wilson Gap, but made it and on to the climb to Rabun Bald, second highest peak in Georgia. Had a low nutrition point before I got there. Downed some enduralytes and felt much better. Filtered another bottle of water at a spring.
I took the time to climb up to the platform on Rabun Bald, and met a nice dog and his people. Sat down and ate half a peanut butter and honey sandwich and some moon cheese, took some pics, then headed down toward Bee Gum Gap.
i really like the next section of trail with all the bridges and water flowing. Got to Hale Ridge Road where my husband waited and pushed up the trail on the other side for the last .1 miles of the route.