Eli White posted the route:
The Nantahala Adventure Run (NAR) is a 55.5mi* scenic loop through the Nantahala National Forest of western North Carolina that utilizes two prominent, historic long trails in the southern Appalachian Mountains: the Appalachian Trail (AT) and the lesser-known Bartram Trail, which loosely follows the travels of 18th century explorer and naturalist, William Bartram. NAR is the loop formed between where the two trails share a short section from Wine Spring Bald to Wayah Bald and their intersection farther north at Cheoah Bald. The route crosses several stunning southern Appalachian balds and passes other points of interest, such as Bartram Falls, the Nantahala River, Nantahala Lake, and the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). With a cumulative gain of nearly 14,000ft, this beautiful route is a worthy challenge for the adventurous!
My hope in posting this is to encourage other runners to check out this route. I think that it is certainly deserving of some FKT action, so you should give it a shot!
*Mileage estimate is calculated from the Interpretive Hiking Map of North Carolina’s Bartram Trail, produced by the NCBTS, and the 2013 A.T. Guide Handbook by David “Awol” Miller.
Eli posted more information & GPS data:
Our small group had a great time on the NAR loop this past weekend. The heat (low-mid 80s) and stifling humidity of summer took their toll on us all, and 3 out of 5 starters completed the full loop. We started near the entrance to the Appletree Group Campground and ran clockwise. A few of us dropped self-supported aid in one or two spots the night before, and we had a gracious volunteer meet us at Tellico Gap with aid. My GPS data (part 1; part 2) from the run added up to 55 miles and about 13,700 feet of total vertical gain. Adam Hill came in at the front with a really great time of 10:54:46, and set a mark that will be difficult to break, especially in similar conditions. There are many locations for crew access along the run that would make it easier (thorough route description), but we opted for limited support to make logistics easier. I hope to see more folks out there on this one!
