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Opinion - When hiking is touted as a piece of cake

Experienced hikers take on a rocky trail in the Grand Canyon. Photo by Marjorie “Slim” Woodruff.
Experienced hikers take on a rocky trail in the Grand Canyon. Photo by Marjorie “Slim” Woodruff.

Grand Canyon educator Marjorie “Slim” Woodruff is irritated by social media influencers who assure anyone reading that an arduous hike is no big deal—anyone can do it.

“One of the 'in' hikes these days is the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim” she writes. “This involves hiking 21 to 24 miles with almost 10,000 feet of elevation change. This feat requires serious levels of fitness and preparation. Yet on social media, posters encourage complete strangers to go for it, even daring people to try it twice.”

The result of this bragging? Alarming rescue statistics.