Summer Trip turns into tragedy when hikers ignore signs.

Ignoring warning signs while hiking is never a smart thing to do; the dangers were further illustrated as three hikers were swept over Yosemite Falls this week after ignoring the posted warnings.

A group of three people climbed over a guardrail, and then fell over the Vernal Falls in Yosemite, and are presumed dead. The three were visiting the park on a day trip; witnesses say that they were urged by several people to step back from the river, but the hikers ignored the warnings.

The area had several warning signs and a guardrail to keep people away from the falls, but apparently some people think they know better than the park officials. These kinds of accidents are becoming increasingly prevalent as more inexperienced people venture into the back country, thinking that they can survive anything.

I think that T.V. shows like Man Vs Wild have given people a false sense of security when venturing out into the wilderness, and have almost done more harm than good. When people see these T.V. personalities easily jumping over rivers and climbing down waterfalls without ropes, they fail to realize that most of the scenes are highly choreographed. These T.V. personalities are professionals, and often have the luxury of fancy camera angles that hide ropes or other safety gear.

It’s one thing to go into the back country, but ignoring the posted signs and doing things that you are not trained or equipped to do is just plain stupid. I hope people start to realize that the wilderness is not a place to mess around in.