That Swiftcurrent section is no joke. I ran into something similar on the Ptarmigan Tunnel trail two summers back when a washout left about 15 feet of loose scree where the trail used to be, and my 25 foot cord was useless. The trick the ranger showed you about using trees is smart because a single boulder anchor can flip on you if the rock is smaller than you think. I ended up wrapping a Sitka spruce trunk and a second anchor around a root system, then ran the rope through both for a backup. Carrying 50 feet of real climbing rope instead of cheap cord adds weight but it saved my trip.

Four points for a gummy crumb is such a specific little knife to the gut, and honestly a judge owes you more than three words when they ding you like that. I'd push back on the idea that the fix was on you at all. A gummy crumb can come from so many things, underproofing, baking too cool, slicing too soon, a starter that's just slow that week, and a single comment with no follow up doesn't tell you which one it was. Six months of rebuilding might have made great bread, but you have no way to know if it fixed the actual problem because nobody ever told you what the problem was. Next time, corner that judge after the table clears and ask them to describe what they felt in the crumb, not just label it.