Got caught in that same storm zone near Leadville last year actually. I used to think the CDT was way more hardcore and impressive than the other long trails but honestly after that trip I totally changed my mind. The weather up there is no joke and it can ruin your whole plan real quick. Definitely made me respect the JMT's predictability a lot more lol.

Yeah, I get why you say that. But I think "fake popcorn" is actually pretty spot on for that overly processed, weirdly shiny stuff they give you sometimes. It looks like popcorn but has none of the real buttery taste or crunch.

And yeah that's the thing with cordless, you're basically gambling on how fresh that battery actually is. I learned that the hard way when I was finishing a deck and my buddy handed me his "fully charged" battery that died after like four cuts through PT lumber. Meanwhile my corded saw just sits there waiting for me, no guessing games. I switched to cordless for my drill and impact driver ages ago but for saws and grinders I just don't trust it yet. Maybe I'm old school but I'd rather deal with a cord than miss a cut because my tool decided to take a nap.

Idk man, 15 minutes sounds worth it to me.

@wendygrant, have you tried a quick blast with compressed air after rinsing?