I never did understand why the local shops advocated one big walking stick instead of two trekking poles for the Narrows. I took two poles, and my feet were more battered and swollen the next day than they were at the end of the Sierra Challenge in '10.
It also started raining later in the evening after I day-hiked the Narrows. I felt really sorry for the people behind me who had opted to do it as an overnight. The river was blood-red and scary.
