Great instructive story. I just read "Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon" by Michael P. Ghiglieri, Thomas M. Myers. This hiker's experience is right out of there. Going off the trail and taking a shortcut is one of the top ways to die in Grand Canyon as well. The take home message to me is that it's better to backtrack with the assurance that you know the way. Oh yeah, and leave the correct plan with the ranger and bring enough water. Thanks for the link!
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Men have become the tools of their tools.
Henry David Thoreau