bushwhacking
BUSH-wak-ing
Definition
The act of traveling or trekking through dense, uncultivated forest or wilderness where there are no established trails.
Etymology
Originating in the United States in the early 19th century, the term combines 'bush' and 'whack,' reflecting the need to beat or hack through dense undergrowth to clear a path.
In the news
The article uses the word to describe how hikers were forcing their way through thick vegetation to reach Hyperion, which caused significant damage to the forest floor. This uncontrolled access is why officials had to close the area to the public.
A coastal redwood named Hyperion stands 115.9 metres tall in a hidden fold of Redwood National Park, taller than the Statue of Liberty, and the National Park Service refuses to disclose its location after tourists trampled the root system of the previous record-
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com