That faint herd path thing has burned so many people up there. It looks great for the first hundred feet then just fades into spruce and you're standing there wondering where it went. The Osseo switchbacks are boring but they exist for a reason, and every "shortcut" in the Pemi seems to funnel you into one of those drainages where the blowdowns are stacked like pickup sticks. I've started marking a waypoint at the moment a path stops looking worn because that's usually the real turn around point.

Those thin joints are no joke. I have seen old homes where the mortar is barely a credit card thick and it takes real skill to match that without making a mess. Three guys walked away because the job is slow, fussy work and you cannot rush a repoint like that. You have to grind it out by hand and mix small batches to get the color right. Most masons want fast money, not a week of picking at a wall with a grinder.