FKT: Sarah Bradley - Down East Sunrise Trail (ME) - 2021-09-05

Hi! On Saturday, 9/4/21, I dropped my truck off at the Washington Junction trailhead, just east of Ellsworth. This is the western end of the trail. My sister picked me up and drove me to Ayers Junction trailhead, the eastern end of the trail. I started my journey around 0845. It was perfect weather for a run/walk with my dog Tate. I carried all our supplies (about 20 pounds) and got water along the way in bogs and rivers and filtered it with my Befree bottle. There was a lot of off road vehicles since it was a long weekend (Labor Day weekend). I made a point to get off the trail tread way and stop to let them by, since I wasn't always sure they could see me- it was rather dusty. Anyway waiting for vehicles to go by did add up to a lot of time. Getting water was also a challenge since the trail is an old railroad bed, so is elevated. Getting to the water and then filtering it took time. I thought I had my pack well organized, but it seemed I spent a lot of time digging around and taking stuff out and putting it back in. I did see a few people on bicycles, but only casual hikers. From E. Machias to west of Machias there was no good water available because the trail goes along the ocean, so I was glad I got water out of the E. Machias River before I hit the tidal areas. The night part was basically uneventful, there were no vehicles on the trail, so very peaceful. I did not see much wildlife- mostly ducks and one porcupine. There was a lot of beaver activity at night, so I got startled several times by beavers slapping. The trail traverses mostly bog lands, so lots of water along the way, most of it the color of strong tea, but drinkable once filtered. The last 30 miles were a real challenge. My dog was getting sore paws and I was feeling the affects of run/walking for several hours. We had plenty of food, so never ran out, which was nice. I was also glad I had two long sleeved shirts and a wind breaker since it got down in the 40's F. It was also discouraging when my Garmin showed 85 miles and the mileage signs on the trail indicated that I had 4 more miles! Once I slogged the 4 miles it was still almost 0.7 miles to the trailhead. I was so glad to see my truck! It was a great adventure and I hope my submissions are accepted for an unsupported FKT for this trail. Thanks!