Congratulations to Cathy! If anyone knows the NH48 better than her, I would be very surprised. Glad that your boss finally gave you some time off after 4 years.
All these years without a female FKT and now two within two weeks! (LRiz, you're next. Sub 4?! Go for it!) I
am a trail runner but ran maybe 1% of the NH48. To me, with but a few exceptions, those trails are rather unrunnable! FWIW, I was never muled (no one ever carried any of my stuff) and had no food/water stashes anywhere (except for the Starbucks Doubleshot that my Sweetie left for me at the Lend-A-Hand/Twinway junction before the last peak).
(We just returned to the Left Coast today. For those who are interested in such things, when/if I get motivated, I still plan to write up a summary of my 5 days out there.)
A little more elaboration on where the clock should stop: Cavedog told me he made the summit-finish rule based on the early '70s Fitch brothers' finish on Madison after they decided to spend the night at Madison Hut, i.e. it was based purely on tradition and out of respect for the first NH48 FKT'ers. If George Fitch is still on VFTT, maybe he could chime in here.
Personally, I always felt that the clock should stop at the trailhead; unless a person is getting picked up by helicopter or being littered out, they have to hike
down the mountain, too! Frodo and I made that "rule" when we did the NH48 FKT in winter 2003-04. So, being the first of the fairer sex
to go for a non-winter FKT after all these years, I made the "rule" (and I
hate silly rules!), that the official finish time should be at the last trailhead. Somehow I believe that it is more honest, BUT that is just my opinion... and we all have those!
Unadogger, the pack is an Ultimate Direction Nimbus. I have one in purple. It's a great fastpack. Haven't used mine in years but, like a lot of gear/toys, have hung onto it for sentimental reasons...
