End-of-life care is an important object of governance. Using the linguistic notions of polysemy, metaphorical blending and counterfactual reasoning, this paper critically examines epistemic issues in professional guidelines for palliative sedation of the dying. As a last resort option, palliative sedation is described as the intentional, pharmacological reduction of the patient's consciousness with the aim to reduce intolerable suffering from intractable physical symptoms that cannot be managed otherwise. Like a wilderness trail that simultaneously facilitates and constrains, the guidelines provide a set of "due care requirements" that allows for the provision of end-of-life care in controversial territory.