North to south.
The northern 17.5 miles of the Tunxis trail are engaging and brutal. Both of these traits are magnified by the rainy season. Aggressively technical single track pitches in uncomfortable manners on all three axes. It is a struggle to find rhythm in the twisting off-camber trail, as you find yourself amazed at the unique ways it rises and falls before inevitably diving into the next roaring stream crossing.
On rare occasion, the trail will forego its boulder-y bed and double in width. This is not a gift. The trail does not like you. You will lose your shoe in the sludge-pit of mud masquerading as doubletrack..even if you promise yourself you will be careful this time.
As the northern portion of the trail concludes, the trees and the clouds above will band together to make sure your gps loses satellites for an hour or two. It knows you really quite liked seeing your "current altitude" data field rise and fall.
The southern 17.5 miles of the Tunxis Trail hears your pleas for respite. In true Monkey's Paw fashion, the trail grants your wish and incorporates stretches of logging road into its standard rotation as the trail marches steadily uphill - almost uninterrupted - for thirteen...straight...miles. At 50k, the downhill finally hits, and it tastes as sweet as the water you definitely neglected to pack.
You figure you have maybe three easy downhill miles to go (you never had any idea how long this trail actually is). The doubletrack eats your shoe one last time. Weirdly simultaneously, the clouds and the trees eat your gps signal (it will never return). But whatever - you're cruising.
The trail senses your smug satisfaction and morphs the next mile of gentle downhill into expert-level undulating wet-boulder single track hell. You battle through it powered by the overwhelming taste in your mouth of dehydrated skin cells.
The last half mile of the trail is pretty. You are running on springy moss. You finish. You lay in the springy moss. You water yourself and smile.
I like this trail quite a lot.
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4 oz syrup w/ salt
7 "fun sized" skittles
6 starbursts
4 servings amino acid science-based gel things
1 serving powerbar raspberry gel
2x chewy granola bar
50oz water (dumb)
On a dry day, sub 6:00 is certainly possible. I stopped for 5 minutes almost immediately, lost 2 minutes to directional errors, and lost 3 minutes to filling my water bag in a stream. 6:16 moving; 6:26 elapsed.