This loop takes the intense fire road section of the Duckett Reservoir loop and returns via the bridle path or vice-versa. Sections of this route are used by local ultra runners for vert training as the fire road follows up the up and downs of the Patuxent River arteries. Many climbs can be 200' in 1/4 mile and are washed out or covered in scree. Both the fire road and the bridle path are hard in different ways. The loop gets humid in summer and muddy in winter. Navigation can be difficult in certain seasons due to fading trail markings. This is the local ultra runners' cheat code when training for hot, vertical races and a day out doing the loop is a challenging adventure. There are frequent water sources. There are also overgrown and washed out sections.
The Duckett Section of the Patuxent River reservoirs separate Howard County, Maryland from Fredrick County, Maryland. This documented navigation of the loop will help connect sections and create a continuous and established loop for training and/or FKT attempts.
