I love this analogy. On its face, my assumption would be that keeping this trail ritual would be of immeasurable value to the society merely as a shared challen

I love this analogy. On its face, my assumption would be that keeping this trail ritual would be of immeasurable value to the society merely as a shared challenge, myth, and meeting place for all members of the society. At the very least, it's something to do, to aspire to, to measure oneself against, etc. I'm curious now to read the book to see if it addresses this idea.