Hello again, thanks for playing!
- You are correct, there are not personal discard piles for this one. I adjusted the Trailblazing section help reinforce this point.
- You are correct, the top card is not adjacent to the card beneath it. (It might be a fun variant to add a bit of a bonus for reaching the top card and giving players the choice between extending their journey to the left or right before reaching the top or getting there for the bonus)
Cheers!