Wait, you actually laughed at a 15 mile shortcut? That is wild to me because 15 miles is not a shortcut, that is a whole extra day of hiking if things go wrong. I gotta know what made it a "shortcut" in the first place, like was the main trail that much longer or were you just in a bind? I have done dumb stuff on trails before but blowing off 15 miles because it sounds easier would scare me half to death. Did you have enough water and food for it or did you just wing it and hope for the best? Tell me the part where it saved your trip because right now I am stuck on the part where you laughed at it first.