Pictured Rocks Lakeshore Trail (MI)

[Pictured Rocks end to end]

Jason Schatz has the FKT, 5h56m57s, July 27, 2013.
Claire Luby has the women's FKT, 7h50m04s (accompanied), August 29, 2015.

I hijacked this post to add the FKT above. Details are in the thread below. The original post is as follows:

"Anyone have a best time for the Pictured Rocks lakeshore trail end to end from Munising Falls Visitor Center to the Grand Marais Visitor center. Distance is very close to 43 miles. I did it but stopped at Grand Sable lake and skipped the last 2 miles in around 6.5 hours way back in the 90's. Wondering if anyone has done it faster."

[outsideinmi]

Anyone? I know several people who have done it. Amazing trail, lots of hikers, best views in the midwest over 150 foot sandstone cliffs, beaches, forests, smooth trail. 43 miles total. I did all but the last 3 miles in about 6.5-7 hours back in the 90's.

[brv14]

Scouted it out this summer. Wanted to try a end-to-end trip this summer, but couldn't fit it in around races. A couple friends and myself will be doing it next summer.

[twindadmqt]

I've run this twice in the last 2 years, this year running it with my wife. While I can not claim any FKT's, having not done a report and stopping for only few photos, OutsideInMI will at least smile when he sees this post. I have yet to hear of any females having done this other than my wife.
On July 7th, 2012 Lindsey Dehlin and I ran the entire length of the Pictured Rocks Lakeshore Trail from the Visitor Center trail head in Grand Marais to the Munising Falls parking lot. We took the ALTRAN Shuttle and started down the trail at 11:07 a.m. , finishing 9hrs 43 minutes later at 8:50 p.m. We ran unsupported, refilled our 2L Nathan Hydration packs with a Katadyn Vario Filter at the bridge at Beaver Creek and once more at the Mosquito River bridge. Between the two of us, we ate 2 PB&J Sandwiches, 4 Honey Stinger Waffles, 6 Hammer Gels and 2 packs of the Power Bar Gummies.
OutsideInMI, the trail is now a little longer than 43, closer to 45 because rerouting due to erosion of the shoreline and the fragile environment of the sand dunes.
Heading back on October 6th to run with a friend and take advantage of some cooler temps and fall colors. I'll have to make sure that I document it well and post it this time.

[twindadmqt]

On October 6, 2012 Pete Witucki and I (Dan Dehlin) will attempt to set the fastest known time (FKT) on the Pictured Rocks Lakeshore Trail located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan along Lake Superior. We will be running unsupported along the Lakeshore Trail from the Grand Marais Visitor’s Center trail head to Munising Falls trail head.

We will be following the common sense guidelines proposed by Buzz Burrell and documented by Peter Bakwin on fastestknowntime.proboards.com/

1.) Announce your intentions in advance. Like a true gentleman, pay your respects to those who came before you, and tell them what you intend to attempt and when.
2.) Be an open book. Invite anyone to come and watch or, better yet, participate. This makes your effort more fun and any result more believable.
3.) Record your event. Write down everything immediately upon completion. Memory doesn't count.

While I have completed this run twice before, it was not documented to the proposed guidelines that would make them FKT worthy. While we’re sure that others have run the complete route, there is no documentation that can be found of times for the entire route. Therefore, based on my previous Lakeshore Trail runs, we will be targeting a time of less than 7 hours 30 minutes (many people hike this entire trail in 4 to 5 days), this will be our first FKT attempt and it will be properly documented as noted in the guidelines above as well as split times from each major intersection.. If anyone can provide documentation of a faster time, we will certainly stand corrected.

[glowingrock]

On 9/22/12 and 9/23/12 Eric Carlson and myself (Roy Kranz), yo-yoed the Lakeshore Trail at Pictured Rocks (started in Munising, hiked to Grand Marais and turned around and hiked back to Munising). With our various side trips along the way our total mileage was over 85 miles without sleep. It took us 35 hours and 22 minutes [around 15 hours out and over 20 hours back]. You can check out the video of our hike at www.roykranz.com.

[outsideinmi]

Congrats on your FKT DANNY D and P.WITUCKI!! But man, that yo-yo record by Kranz and Carlson seems pretty dang sweet too -- no sleep?? yow.... Either way, I'm giving it a shot next summer for sure. No way I can match the 7:03 record but at my advanced age and 20 extra pounds I hope i can crack 8 hours.

[twindadmqt]

On Saturday October 6th, 2012 Peter Witucki and I (Dan Dehlin) ran the entire 42.4 miles of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. We started at the Grand Sable Visitor Center Trailhead, running the Lakeshore Trail to its final destination, the Munising Falls trailhead in 7 hours 3 minutes and 12 seconds, absolutely unsupported. Based on all available info, Pete and I now hold the Fastest Know Time (FTK) for the entirety of this trail, unsupported or otherwise.
I’ve listed our overall splits to posted trail markers to give you an idea of our day.

Log Slide - 54:32
Au Sable Lighthouse - 1:13:57
Beaver Creek 3:11:53
Chapel Rock - 4:07:58
Potato Patch - 5:34:16
Miners Castle - 5:59:35
Munising Falls - 7:03:12

This post is also duplicated in a publicly available post as well as a publicly shared photo album at www.facebook.com/dannydehlin

[zanzabar88]

On Friday July 5, 2013, my wife Susan Spaulding and I (L. Jay Roberts) will attempt to set the fastest known time (FKT) on the Pictured Rocks Lakeshore Trail located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan along Lake Superior. We will be running unsupported (or if strictly defined self-supported, taking water when available from any source, but carrying all other supplies from the start) along the Lakeshore Trail from the Grand Marais Visitor’s Center trail head to Munising Falls trail head. We will be getting started rather late in the morning (10:00-11:00) as we will use the Trailspotters shuttle to get us from Munising to Grand Marais.

We will be following the common sense guidelines proposed by Buzz Burrell and documented by Peter Bakwin on fastestknowntime.proboards.com/

We will say we intend to try to beat the 7:03 time, but in reality that is ambitious. We're looking at more like an 8 or 9 hour run. But hey, ya never know.

We have hiked all or portions of it many (many) years ago.
This will be our first ever FKT attempt and it will be properly documented as noted in the guidelines above. We will record split times from each major intersection. We will be using a Garmin GPS watch as well as additional Timex watch and cell phone in case of technical difficulties.

[jjameson]

I just ran an out and back from Munising Falls to Mosquito River today. That last section from Miner's Castle to Munising Falls is muddy, overgrown, rooty, and demoralizing. Any time I stopped I was attacked by swarms of mosquitoes. Good luck!

[spauldi1]

Thanks for the trail update.  We met Dan today at a local 5K, and he also warned us about that section.  So looking forward to the run tomorrow!  It looks like a beautiful day (though hot - low to mid 80's).  We'll post our results later, and a link to some photos in a week or so.  
Sue

[jjameson]

How did it go? Very hot and muggy the last few days. And a 10AM start would hit the worst of it....

[TeamTayberry]

I too am interested in how it went. Myself and two of my daughters plan to do this in August. We won't be going for the FastestKnownTime. Just gonna try to get it done in a day.

[zanzabar88]

Well, I'll give the quick version (and then we'll write a more complete account later): it was HOT! We quickly had to give up on the "running fast" idea because of that heat and so it turned into a fast hike. What a beautiful trail though! We had a really fun time and also saw a small bear just south of Miners Castle around 8:30PM (which was probably the highlight of our run)! After all the walking and stopping to wade in the lake a few times we arrived in Munising Falls just AFTER dark at 10:30 for a total time of around 12 1/2 hours. We had a really fun time, but that trail and that heat is pretty humbling.

Kudos to Dan and Peter for pounding that run out in just over 7hrs, that's quite an accomplishment!

[TeamTayberry]

Congrats on finishing!