@MikeMiller Actually, I am not sure anymore where compactness of the critical set is required for 1). Given $f : \Bbb R^n \to \Bbb R$ is unbounded as I head to infinity, and that $\lim_{N \to \infty} f(\gamma(N))$ is finite, $\gamma(t)$ must always be finite, i.e., image of $\gamma$ must be bounded. As $(f \circ \gamma)'(t) = \nabla f(\gamma(t)) \cdot \gamma'(t) = - \| \nabla f(\gamma(t))\|^2 \leq 0$, $f$ decreases monotonically along the image of $\gamma$. But $f \circ \gamma$ must also have bounded image, so $f$ cannot decreasing along $\gamma$ without bound.