Stats: start Friday 9/4/26 at 5:33 am (per Coros/Strava); end 9/5/26 at 15:12 (or 3:12 pm) - for total time of 1 day 9 hrs 39 min.
Preambula: a year ago my husband Larry and I backpacked CDT section NoBo out of Wolf creek pass. I came home and thought: there must be an FKT around there. Bookmarked this one for the following year for this particular weekend, fitting it between my 100M race and a commitment to pace a friend. However, life added a twist: my younger son passed away exactly 5 weeks ago, and a week prior to this attempt I put him to rest...I decided to follow through, for some time away in the mountains, doing hard things. There was not an FKT on this route until, literally, a week before I set out - and I briefly considered going through the night as well. However, I also didn't feel like this was the right time for me to push my body, given the circumstances. I went SoBo (as described on the page originally, but alas, I agree, it probably should be a variation in the future).
Light version: this is the MOST frustrating experience I've ever had on the trails in terms of navigation, including trail maintenance, need to use apps on the phone, constantly disappearance of the trails (here is a trench - here is not, or lots of blow downs, and by the time you get around, you have no clue where the trail gets picked up), etc. The consistent need of having a phone in hands, alternating between CalTopo and CoTrex apps, took a good number of minutes, adding into probably an hour plus of total time. In addition, I am old(ish) and at 57 see pretty much nothing without reading glasses (get them out, take them off). Plus, CoTrex loads the signal dot very fast, but not very accurately, while CalTopo is super on point, but takes up to a minute to upload GPS. Standing in place figuring out if I am still on/close to the trail was infuriating, and I definitely angrily sometimes took a good 15 minutes hiking without one - which resulted in getting off trail for some bits, and then making best how to get back (worst on day 1 mile 30, after bushwhacking and managing to miss a split, I got off not only main trail, but even the wrong one, and for the life of me wasn't sure where to go, so I pointed the "dot" and, quite literally, scaled a rock/tree wall - my husband did the math and it was exactly same mileage, with more vert gain, and an extra 40 min bonus time). Similarly, this big extra happened at mile 16 on day 2. As well as plenty of walking back and forth, around the "block", and detours for different reasons on the trail.
Anyway, the weather was perfect. Clouds for most of day 1, though sunny and hot on day 2, but no rain, chilly mid-30's at night. FYI, between dry winter/summer this year, and it being late in the season, neither the first 27 miles, nor the last 28 miles (sans 3 miles before the end) had reliable running water sources, and I got by on 2 liters each of those stretches (do not recommend, but I had done it before). The middle part runs along the creek, then crosses a few more. Cows (and their patties) are everywhere, just as bow hunters (elk season). As I said, navigation wasn't fun and took any joy out - instead of looking around, I stared down at my phone. The views of the mountains are awesome, but the beetle kill on the trees takes a mood dump. I stopped on the first day at 11 pm on the flat spot before a climb, at "my" 44 miles, and, while I don't sleep in the tent (between insomnia and being old), I call it "horizontal time", which my body appreciates nowadays. I took my sweet time getting ready (despite not sleeping), and got out on the trail around 4:50-ish. Again, with aging, hiking in full darkness is less appealing, but it took just 1.5 hrs for my favorite time - sunrise. Loved the meandering high country. Ran out of water with 3 miles to go (already was nursing it), then slammed my head under the tree and put a gash on it (head, not tree). Seeing my husband at the end of the trail cheering me on is always a highlight of the effort - I am forever grateful for his support, especially in these trial times. I also carried a bit of ashes of my son the whole time.
Link to photoalbum: https://photos.app.goo.gl/YFRti4ryA2eVoAGU9