Herd Path Psychology

[Paradox]

Has anyone noticed that when following a herd path and arriving at a fork with two choices that more often than not the path that is more footworn often leads to a dead end or an impregnable wall of spruce?

I am of two minds:
1) Hikers take one route or the other and the wrong way is often traveled twice. As opposed to the correct way where many folks are doing a loop and travel the correct way only once. Also the more stubborn among us will continue on a nasty bushwhack and never see the correct way at all.

2) I remember when I have gone the wrong way because it was more challenging.

 

[peakbagger]

I have noticed and participated in winter time off trail excursions where the out and back reason is very obvious. Folks tend to follow the snowshoe tracks in the winter and when someone takes the wrong track at a questionable intersection, the wrong track very quickly becomes the primary route. I am at the point now in the winter where I come to a split in the trail that I usually take the less traveled path (and I dont even read Frost!).

 

[Chip]

I think the "out and back" is correct, which multiplies the problem by looking like the correct trail. You should do some trail de-maintenance there. I've noticed something similar in the Catskills due to double hashes AFTER the actual turn in the trail. It creates a well worn, albeit short, dead end.