Wish someone had told me this before I bought a welder I barely use. Tried to fix a rust spot on my truck and just blew holes through the metal instead. Slow and steady really is the whole game with body work.

Doubt a 9 sec dog clip means much honestly.

Planning around "the way out is always slower than the way in" is spot on and honestly most people never get it until they're hurting. I read a trip report a while back from a guy who did Rim to Rim and he said the same thing, that he counted hours in direct sun on the climb instead of miles, and it saved him because the exposed switchbacks up Bright Angel cook you way worse than the shaded parts. He said he drank almost twice as much on the way up even though it was fewer miles. What Ranger Dave told you lines up with that. Sun exposure plus altitude plus the uphill grade is a triple hit, so miles just don't tell the real story. I started writing my notes with estimated sun hours per section and it changed how much I carry between refills.