raveling
n.— «In some places, air pockets between the soil, rocks and other debris have created a crumbling effect, a process called “dry raveling” that could have played a role in the weekend death of a teenage hiker.» —“Unstable soil needs time for new growth to take root” by Jennifer Bowles Press-Enterprise (Riverside, California) Jan. 14, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Through-hikers, those intrepid souls who spend months hiking a long trail such as the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada, acquire lots of colorful slang along the way. A NoBo is a northbound hiker; a SoBo is someone heading south, and Yo-Yo...
As a Wyoming caller noted in an earlier episode, through-hikers on routes like the Appalachian Trail give each other trail names — jocular appellations that stick throughout their trek. The origin stories of several of these are told in the book...