There is nothing more tempting for us than the lure of unspoiled woods off the main trail. In our early 20s, and especially when we were just getting into the outdoors, we were incredibly guilty of this. We would constantly veer off trail. Or cut our own path from one switchback to another. Or we would want to sneak around or under or on top of a waterfall beyond the viewing area that was provided to us. We were completely naive to the impacts these acts had but now that we know better, we want to make sure we share what we’ve learned. Going off trail, especially if enough people start to do it in the same spot, can cause massive problems. The first and biggest of which is erosion. When we go off trail and start blazing new paths, we create erosion issues that can last for generations. We have to keep in mind that the trails that are in place and have been cut where they are were chosen to minimize impact to the environment and the ecosystem. The most common place we see this in switch...