Yeah, @mitchell.mia, I've been there with the green sand gunk. In my experience, once that sludge sets, it's like concrete. Switching to no-bake made a big difference for me too, but your mileage may vary based on the mold size. I found that even with no-bake, letting it cool fully before shakeout helps it crumble better. That extra minute of patience saves another ten of chiseling later, so the time saved really adds up.

Popular trails like Old Rag get insanely crowded, especially on weekends. I read that park staff really push for weekday trips to avoid those lines (which totally fits with what @ben_wells96 said about rush hour). Switching to a less busy trail nearby could be your best bet if weekdays aren't an option.

Wow, your boss really called a Lego brick quartz, @anthony618?

Got a barrel for mine now lol

But does skipping the light meter really change that much?