When I was in the Smokies last fall, I saw those ugly scars from shortcuts too. Your game mission idea is actually really smart, it makes boring rules feel like a challenge. I always try to remember that every step off the path messes with plants that take years to grow back. After a few hikes, my brain started yelling at me if I even thought about cutting switchbacks. It's cool how staying on trail shows you the best views the planners picked out. Honestly, more people need to get that our tiny choices add up to big damage.