FKT: Caleb Baity - Art Loeb Trail (NC) - 2021-12-04

I started just after 6:30 in about 38 degree weather.  In the first mile it seemed to have already reached over 40 degrees and I went down to just shorts and short sleeves.  The sun had also come up enough that I was able to remove the headlamp.   I was using water sparingly in the first few miles since it was almost all slow hiking rather than running.  I got turned around just before the balds where the trail split multiple times but only went about 100 feet in the wrong direction before I noticed it on my watch track.  Coming down from the parkway was the sketchiest part for me.  The leaves were very deep so it was hard to tell what was under them before stepping off and possibly into a hole.   Once I got down from pilot I passed another group headed northbound trying for an FKT too.   I took roughly 100 ounces with me (part GU Roctane and part GU drink mix).  I had 2 filter tops for bottles but never had to use them, only took in that 100 ounces and never stopped to resupply.  Started with a ton of GU gels, chews, stroopwafel etc.  Took in 1 Roctane gel, 3 regular gel, 1 liquid gel, 1 Roctane liquid gel, and 3 packs of chews (double packs).