Oh! It’s beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

Thank you. It’s very nice to have another person validate your views.

It was in a geology class, actually! But like the next commenter said, getting involved with trail maintenance would be perfect to learn that sorta stuff.

I didn’t realize until i took a class how terribly disruptive and destructive going off trail or making shortcuts is to topsoil and erosion. It’s crazy. They rate trails based on steps taken on it and so many thousand steps equals a certain amount of erosion which has to be maintained. You know this. But it was kind of an epiphany moment for me. I’m a big fan of staying on the trail now that i realize how destructive short cuts are or anything trod enough to make a trail.

Lol. I’m eye-rolling at myself but i hold to my opinion. People are selfish.

Edit: added ‘at’ for clarification.

I was just there and these girls were exactly where those parents are, taking pictures of each other. It fucked up my photos (I don’t love having people in my nature pictures unless it’s planned) and were obviously gonna be in everyone else’s pictures since it’s hard to leave out the top of the falls when you’re taking a picture of them. They posed there for almost as long as we were there and i was triggered. I get wanting to get a great picture, wanting to see nature up close, and wanting to be off trail. But don’t clog up a very clearly public spot with your basic bitch self-centered attitude. Get down there, get a couple shots, and leave. Every public natural area is for everyone to enjoy and putting yourself in the middle of it for extended periods of time is just fucking selfish. It’s right up there with playing music while hiking. Taking turns was taught at a young age and would solve so many adult problems. Ugh. End rant.