Picked the 14 mile ridge over the valley trail in the Winds, and my knees filed a complaint

That trailhead stranger thing gets me every time because they always sound so sure of themselves. What saved me on a similar knee-killer was shortening my pace and eating every hour whether I felt hungry or not, plus trekking poles on the downhills, which cut the pounding a lot. Those noodles legs usually mean you went out too fast early and didn't fuel enough, not that the route was too hard. Next time give yourself the 11 hour window from the start and the ridge is way more fun.