Powell Sets Tahoe-Yosemite Trail FKT in 3 Days

Allison H. Powell has set the female unsupported Fastest Known Time on California’s Tahoe-Yosemite Trail, finishing the roughly 170-mile route in 3 days, 9 hours and 11 minutes.

She left Meeks Bay on Lake Tahoe at 10:15 a.m. on September 13 carrying about six pounds of food and water, plus five and a half pounds of gear. She reached Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park at 7:26 p.m. three days later.

The first known time, earned alone

The route climbs out of Desolation Wilderness, then largely follows the Pacific Crest Trail south through the Sierra Nevada. Powell’s effort stands as the first recorded FKT for the female unsupported category on this route.

Her own watch measured 29 miles by the time she reached Echo Lakes on day one, leading her to estimate the route may run closer to 180 miles on the ground than the nominal 170.

Thirty minutes of sleep, no insulation

About 26 hours in, she rested briefly near Ebbets Pass, then slept roughly 30 minutes at mile 87 using only an emergency bivy with no ground insulation. She woke repeatedly in the cold. Her watch died at the edge of Dorothy Lake 54 hours into the effort.

The final night turned cold and she was low on energy, yet she kept moving. “I’m really proud of how this turned out, and of stepping out of my comfort zone to go so far solo,” she said afterwards.

Nearly a decade into her endurance career, Powell had planned the unsupported trip in just three weeks. She previously held the unsupported FKT on the Foothills Trail and attempted the 2026 Barkley Marathons. For now, her time stands alone.