This is a classical example of where smart person do a stupid thing and ended up being killed. I read that book about deaths in Yellowstone and in almost all cases, its where smart person do a dumb thing. One story has it where a dog fell into one of these pits and his owner went into pit to save the dog. Dog was already gone when the owner went in and now the owner was gone.  I have read in other news outlets that Colins Scott was a great guy, a type who would never wandered off from the designated trail but his fate tell us that he did exactly that. I been to Yellowstone before and they got signs all over. Funny that these signs are there for safety measures not as a décor. This should be considered once more as a lesson learned. Otto von Bismarck once stated that only the stupid learn from his/her own mistakes. Smart ones learned from mistakes of others. That sound bit harsh even if the guy was grouchy old Prussian but there is something to that statement in a story like this.