Ever try finishing it solo? I pushed through the last third of one by myself once, and it was still pretty satisfying to see the story wrap up.

What was the rush that caused it? Always hear about these things but never the full story.

Absolutely right, that's the kind of mistake you only make once. I had a similar thing happen years ago out west, got all the way to a trailhead only to find the whole area was closed for bear activity. Felt like such a waste of a drive. Now I'm a bit obsessive about checking those official pages, and even the recent hiker comments. A few minutes of research can save a whole day.