I don’t care if they were the worst people on earth walking the easier hiking path on the nicest day of the year. None of that matters! They left on a hike TOGETHER, and needed to return TOGETHER.

Full stop.

Anyone who can’t follow that one simple rule has no business out on the trails.

DUDE! I hike. If you leave together, you FUCKING come back together. YOU want to break up, put on your big boy panties and do it AFTER everyone is home safe.

Also there is no such thing as “an easy day hike.” Anything can go wrong in the wilderness and lackadaisical thinking is what gets people killed.

Soooo WWIII it is then?