Afternoon Walk

Afternoon Stair-Stepper

Evening Walk

Miles:28.4

Total:119.28

I’ve officially fallen behind the Supported FKT Pace. Today, lack of sleep really caught up with me, so I took an unexpected 1-hour nap in the afternoon to combat the exhaustion. Although it revived me for a while, the second half of the day proved to be much tougher than I anticipated.

After my initial 10 miles, I faced an 18-mile segment through the Windham-Blackhead Range Wilderness. I didn’t research this part well enough and was caught off guard by the incredibly challenging trail. There were steep, scrambling sections that slowed my pace to just 2 miles per hour. By the time I reached North Lake Campground, it was already 7:30 PM.

I had chosen a poor sleeping bag for the conditions and knew it would rain. To avoid being soaked and having a rough night’s sleep, I decided to stop early at 7:30 PM instead of hiking further.

This decision set me back about 18 miles from my original goal, and I doubt I’ll be able to catch up to the original pace.

In hindsight, I should have brought my 35-degree sleeping bag. I opted for a Sea to Summit liner bag because I thought the weather, which was supposed to be in the 60s with a few 50s days, wouldn’t be too cold. However, this liner bag offers minimal insulation and felt much colder on a wet day. Worrying about staying warm in camp was far from ideal, but my gear choice left me with no other option.

The lesson here is clear: I need to bring a sleeping bag that keeps me warm through the night. This is my fourth FKT attempt, and I’ve only brought the right bag once because I’m always trying to save weight. I’ve learned that sleep insulation is one area where I can’t cut corners if I want a good night’s rest.

Lastly, since I knew I was falling behind and only packed a limited amount of food, I skipped dinner tonight and just ate some extra snacks.

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Chris LeBlanc

Long Path Unsupported FKT day 3

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Afternoon Walk

Afternoon Stair-Stepper

Afternoon Stair-Stepper

Afternoon Stair-Stepper

Evening Walk

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