Lucky Wander Wyatt

All entries

115 entries, in the order they were written

Georgia

  1. BeforeJanuary 24, 2012The site is live, hello world!I'm still in the planning stage of my AT thru-hike, but I believe that stage really lasts until the day you leave.. and even then maybe for a few more weeks. Th
  2. BeforeApril 11, 2012It's The Final CountdownIt's almost April 12th! Tomorrow morning is it, time to hit the road and kick up some dirt. My parents are dropping Tim and me off at Springer Mountain in Georg
  3. BeforeApril 13, 2012T-Minus 12 hours before departureThis is the last night before hitting the trail, and both Tim and I are bristling with anticipation. Yesterday was a good deal of driving and a quiet night at a
  4. Day 2April 15, 2012Damn it feels good to be a hikerWell, maybe not physically. My first day has been a long one. No surprise there.
  5. Day 3April 16, 2012Day 3 and looking upI don't have any signal here at Lance Creek, so this will be posted a day late. That will probably happen a lot.
  6. Day 4April 17, 2012Greetings from Blood MountainWell I've learned my place. Today we hiked to the summit of Blood Mountain, and it was our steepest climb yet. The ascent exhausted me, but I managed it with vi
  7. Day 6April 19, 2012A walk in the rainWhile not everyone slept well in our smelly, snore-filled hostile, I found it rather cozy.
  8. Day 7April 20, 2012Night and dayBreaking camp with everything wet is never fun. Especially in a secret grove of poison ivy (that seems to be thriving in Georgia). I started early today, around
  9. Day 8April 21, 2012Right on trackIt was appropriately hazy this 4/20 on the trail, which I'm finding I prefer. I don't mind throwing on a rain jacket to avoid all the bugs and the heat of the s
  10. Day 10April 23, 2012Hiawassee weekendWe were given a ride into town (thanks to the Hiawassee Inn) in an incredibly beat up old van. I especially enjoyed the pile of crushed soda cans, ashtray overf
  11. Day 11April 24, 2012Welcome to North Carolina!My parents dropped Tim and me back on the trail this morning after a brief trip to the gear shop. It was great getting clean and doing laundry, but we're both h

North Carolina

  1. Day 12April 25, 2012Our first snowI woke to the beautiful sight of CVS stoking a morning fire. Salty Hiker was just waking as well, so we collected some firewood for CVS and began our breakfast
  2. Day 13April 26, 2012Best views and best weatherI awoke tucked tightly in my sleeping bag, dreading how cold it was going to be. I was joyously surprised though, as today was absolutely beautiful out! Our 10
  3. Day 14April 27, 2012Excitement in abundanceSo this is a late post for me. Today started with wind. We wanted to catch an 11 o'clock shuttle into Franklin that was 5.5 miles away. I set out early, always
  4. Day 15April 28, 2012Back on the pathAfter the festivities last night, Mr. Fantastic and I were dragging a little. Our stuff had mostly dried out though, which we were very thankful for. All my ele
  5. Day 15April 28, 2012A conventional dayI got started a little late today at 9am. Having a wet tent to put away always slows me down. The plan was for a 12 mile day, and it went off without a hitch. I
  6. Day 16April 29, 2012What a dropToday was only a little over 11 miles, but it was pretty rough. We descended 3300 feet over 4 miles. Had I needed to descend something like this in the first we
  7. Day 17April 30, 2012First night in a shelterToday was pretty tough. Just 8 solid miles of climbing today. I'm writing this from the top bunk of a 14 person shelter. I'm sitting one empty sleeping pad away
  8. Day 18May 1, 2012Everything in its right placeOne night in the shelter was enough for me. I didn't have any problems with mice, but all those people packed in made for poor sleeping conditions. I'll stick t
  9. Day 20May 3, 2012A busy relaxing dayThe day started like any other, waking up with the sun. There was one key difference today, in that both my digital map and Mr. Fantastic's physical map ended 6
  10. Day 21May 4, 2012Welcome to the Smokies!I find that I gauge how difficult a days hike will be on the same scale that I did when we first started. This means, today for example, that I expect to get my
  11. Day 21May 4, 2012An early nightToday tricked all of us. We expected a simple day, even easier than yesterday, but we were in for a painful surprise. The rain managed to hold off until around

Tennessee

  1. Day 23May 6, 2012Exhausted!I'm writing this from the Grande Prix Motel in Gatlinburg, TN, so we succeeded in making our 18 mile trek over Clingman's Dome. We officially crossed over the 2
  2. Day 24May 7, 2012What a zeroI woke up with the morning sun, as is my lot anymore. Mr. Fantastic was still sleeping, and I bided my time catching up with a couple shows on Hulu. By 9 we wer
  3. Day 25May 8, 2012A wet startI woke up and watched Game of Thrones while Mr. Fantastic and CVS snoozed. Great way to start the day! I had everything packed up, so I could just relax while t
  4. Day 25May 8, 2012Last night in the SmokiesI stayed in my sleeping bag late today. There wasn't enough room for everyone to eat with a seat at the same time. Once people started clearing out I got up and
  5. Day 26May 9, 2012So funny it hurtsToday was the rainiest day we've had yet. My shoes were still soaked, as were one of my two pairs of socks, so my dry socks went into my wet shoes. My feet were
  6. Day 27May 10, 2012Sunshine!I slept to the sound of running water, as the stream was corralled beneath the cabin. A biker came late and took a third bed, then left in the morning before su
  7. Day 28May 11, 2012Another bald luncheonIt was a cold morning again. Mr. Fantastic was particularly unhappy about the temperature. I started out early, as cold mornings always push me to warm up. It w

North Carolina

  1. Day 29May 12, 2012A room with a viewAnother cold morning today, but this time we were all prepared for it. I got started a little later than planned, but 7:45 is early enough. Cooking a hot breakf
  2. Day 30May 13, 2012If you're gonna take a zero...Last nights farewell at the bar was a blast. We all had a little bit too much fun, if anything. Mr. Fantastic and I both woke up still a little sneezy, and a li
  3. Day 31May 14, 2012Not all who wander are lostYet another amazing breakfast today. Cornmeal pancakes with a homemade strawberry sauce, spearmint tea (also homegrown), and granola. We settled up and left aro
  4. Day 32May 15, 2012Month number twoThunderstorms last night destroyed any semblance of sleep I may have gotten, and waking up with a wet tent slowed down my morning. After I set out though, every
  5. Day 34May 17, 2012So nice to be dryIt rained again last night, but the haze was clearing by morning. Mr. Fantastic woke up before me for once, but I still left before him. I like to eat, pack up,
  6. Day 35May 18, 2012A do-nothing-dayMr. Fantastic and I were the last to leave camp today, but as there was really no rush it made for a relaxing morning. We ate breakfast, broke camp, and hiked a
  7. Day 36May 19, 2012Trail Days Pt. 1I awoke to a soaking wet world. Since I had so much damp gear crammed into my tent it turned my quarters into a musty steam room. I carefully extricated myself
  8. Day 36May 19, 2012Trail Days Pt. 2The hunt for breakfast began around 8:15 today. Our little entourage (Too Far, Detour, Optimus, Stonechair, Meta, Tapeworm/Landfill, Mr. Fantastic, and myself)
  9. Day 38May 21, 2012Trail Days concludedI was very happy that this morning would by my last waking up in this field, as I wake with dense droplets of condensation covering the inside of my tent. Unfor
  10. Day 38May 21, 20127 is the new 9It was nice to wake up without all that condensation inside my tent. It helped me to get up pretty early and start out for a 14.6 miler. The first half of my da

Tennessee

  1. Day 40May 23, 2012Erwin: Hello, GoodbyeI set out after Tapeworm and Meta today for the 7 mile hike into Erwin. The walk gave some nice views and a chance to feel strong. I got to pet a mole wandering
  2. Day 40May 23, 2012Out from the rainIt's a good thing that I write these at the end of the day, and not during the hike. There are some days, take today for instance, where the tone would be much
  3. Day 41May 24, 2012Ass = KickedEveryone seemed to sleep really well last night, myself included. Of course nothing dried, so we were all very slow to start. The idea of pulling on cold, satur
  4. Day 42May 25, 2012Falling behindIt's been a pretty tough day, but it's hard for me to complain too much with so many sick people around. Of course I happened to be one of those people last nig
  5. Day 44May 27, 2012Catching UpI was awoken at 5:30am by the sounds of 3 dogs running around and barking whilst their beleaguered owner thrust his lazy hand in the air mumbling "Come on now".
  6. Day 44May 27, 2012Back on TrackThe unfortunate side effect of camping by water in the woods is the condensation. I expected it, but my tent was quite soaked through by morning dew. We had a s
  7. Day 46May 29, 2012An exhausting day of relaxationI awoke from a dream in which I was using the bathroom, realizing with relief that I hadn't let my bladder go in my waking life. After birthing out of my tent,
  8. Day 47May 30, 2012Another wet returnIt's nice to wake up indoors once and a while. I saw that Purple Rain had cooked herself a breakfast in the communal kitchen. It was unanimous, once all eyes we
  9. Day 47May 30, 2012Clear skies, full hearts, can't loseWe awoke to bright blue skies this morning. By we I mean everyone in the shelter, as we strangely all awoke as one. I was the first to set out, just a little af
  10. Day 48May 31, 2012Trail Magic TurnpikeI opened my eyes this morning to find pain free ankles and the night time arrival of Merry and Sweet & Sour. Both welcome things to find with the arrival of the

Virginia

  1. Day 49June 1, 2012Damascus ReunionI camped in my tent last night, which helped me to wake up with the sun today. After a quick breakfast and another begrudging hike down the side trail for water
  2. Day 51June 3, 2012A lot of stepsI was awoken at 6am by someone breaking down their camp. I stayed in my tent because I figured it was the section hiking couple, and I'd rather avoid another co
  3. Day 51June 3, 2012But I would walk 500 milesToday was a milestone of a day that began with shivering. We were both slow to get up due to the cold, but today we were scheduled to cross the 500 mile point o
  4. Day 52June 4, 2012Trail MagiciansThe shelter was empty last night but for the two of us. I don't remember the last time we stayed in a shelter that wasn't full, so it was a wild departure from
  5. Day 53June 5, 2012Bad News BearsI enjoyed my breakfast in my sleeping bag this morning, since it was still rather chilly out. As Meta, Stonechair, Dick Flap, Wendigo, and Mr. Fantastic all put
  6. Day 55June 7, 2012Knot MaulIt rained all night, but I still got up and moving at 7am. I regretted my decision to sleep in my tent, as rain has a way of bringing me down out here. I starte
  7. Day 56June 8, 2012High MileageIt was hard to get up and going today. As the sun peeked through the trees I willed it to go away and turtled my head into my mummy bag. That only worked for so
  8. Day 57June 9, 2012A little taste of BlandBetween a very confused bird crowing all night, and a thrumming headache, I got very little sleep. The siren call of Subway still got me on the trail by 8am, bu
  9. Day 57June 9, 2012Another hundredThe sun rose, shining directly into our shelter. This was a great wakeup after a good nights sleep. After a bountiful breakfast, Mr. Fantastic and I set out to
  10. Day 58June 10, 2012Wood's HoleThe sun doesn't shine down as early when you're deep in a valley, subsequently the birds stay quiet a little longer. Waking up to eat breakfast right next to a
  11. Day 59June 11, 2012Slack-packin'Breakfast! Grits with cheese and fresh vegetables from the garden, eggs from the chickens we watched all afternoon, bananas, and cinnamon rolls that were to die
  12. Day 60June 12, 2012Back to the GrindThings got silly last night, but I was still up by 9am, and thankfully sans hangover. I watched the second half of GoT with the balcony wifi, and was contented
  13. Day 61June 13, 2012Keep on keepin' onI awoke in a haze, quite literally. Hiking in a cloud has both pros and cons. It keeps you cool and keeps the insects at bay, however it makes the grass wet whi
  14. Day 63June 15, 2012Night HikeI'm writing this entry the morning after, as opposed to last night. The reasons for this will be obvious by the end of the post. I woke up today, our 2 month an
  15. Day 64June 16, 2012Harder, Better, Faster, StrongerThe night was full of mice and bats, while the morning was full of wasps. I guess every shelter has its downsides. This morning in particular was very slow and
  16. Day 65June 17, 2012Dragon SlayersAfter spending a night in the shelter that time forgot, we were both looking forward to moving ahead. I was feeling a bit off when we first started out at 10am,
  17. Day 66June 18, 2012Bed, knobs, and no ticksNo rest for the weary, at least not last night. A couple of weekenders showed up at the shelter at 11:30pm and they decided they had to start a fire. After an h
  18. Day 66June 18, 2012Focus, Fuel, and FeetA midnight run to the neighboring Subway kept me up late with a full stomach. Totally worth it though. I still woke up around 9am, because the included breakfas
  19. Day 68June 20, 2012Another 20I left at 9am on the dot today after a long night of tossing and turning. I didn't stretch enough at the end of the day yesterday and continually woke with tigh
  20. Day 69June 21, 2012Heat waveAnother sleepless night. This time it was because of the heat. In just shorts and out of my sleeping bag I was still dripping sweat all night. I sweat so much t
  21. Day 70June 22, 2012Sweatin' to the OldiesWhile everyone else was getting bitten by bugs this morning, I enjoyed my breakfast from the sanctuary of my tent. It was very smile-inducing. Mr. Fantastic lef
  22. Day 71June 23, 2012Bugs, rain, and a hot showerThe bugs and heat woke me up early this morning, but I got a decent nights sleep at least. We had a rough climb ahead of us, so we ate big breakfasts, stretched
  23. Day 72June 24, 2012Mothra Attacks!Having a Subway in the parking lot of the motel you're staying at is almost too handy. Breakfast was easy to get, and delicious to eat while relaxing on beds an
  24. Day 73June 25, 2012I'll take the Physical Challenge pleaseToo hot to sleep in my mummy bag, too buggy to sleep in the open. Another night of failed slumber. The bugs trick me by being absent when I first go to sleep, a
  25. Day 74June 26, 2012Push it to the limitIt didn't rain for long last night, and I awoke to a dry tent. This is after I awoke to the sound of a bear nosing around our campsite. Stoves was shining his h
  26. Day 75June 27, 2012A late finishI'll attempt to keep this post short, as it was a long day. I didn't get much sleep last night, mostly because in the YMCA field I was able to leech off of some
  27. Day 76June 28, 2012It's Always Sunny in ShenandoahI slept in until 9am today, but truly needed it after my lack of sleep the night before. Not to mention that rough night hike. We got moving a little after 10am
  28. Day 77June 29, 2012BlackjackI headed over to the camp store the moment I woke up this morning, still craving the soda that we were denied last night. We got in just 20 minutes after the st
  29. Day 78June 30, 2012No Joy in MudvilleWaking up to bone dry water bottles is a downer. I got up and quickly got moving toward the spring that was about .6 up the trail. Mr. F had already started sna
  30. Day 82July 4, 2012Back to our regularly scheduled programIt's been a few days since I've blogged, so bare with me. I have to refresh my memory a bit, and squeeze a lot in. Saturday morning we awoke to the same lack of
  31. Day 84July 6, 2012Quadruple digits!Mr. Fantastic started today on Gizmo's schedule, and got on the trail around 7:30am. I was a bit slower this morning, enjoying the comforts of my tent a little

West Virginia

  1. Day 85July 7, 2012DC DetourI woke damp from the humidity. Not the most pleasant feeling, but I did sleep well, so why complain. I was immediately informed by Dirty D that Mr. Fantastic an
  2. Day 88July 10, 2012Dropping like fliesOur stay in DC was great. Maybe a little too great (a little too Raph for you Ninja Turtles Secret of the Ooze fans). On our zero day we went to REI, which was
  3. Day 89July 11, 2012Expert AdviceThe shelter we were in last night had a thick coat of paint on the floor. This is unusual, and with my air mattress caused so much noise that at 3am I was force
  4. Day 89July 11, 2012The Big SpillIt was an ordinary morning out on the trail. I woke up around 8am, ate about 1200 cold calories, packed up my gear, and got my feet on the trail at 9am. The pla

Maryland

  1. Day 90July 12, 2012You're the Best.. AroundMy sleeping-in-the-snorers-shelter gambit paid off, as no one else joined us. It did get surprisingly cold though, to the point where I had to get up to put mor
  2. Day 91July 13, 2012What's luck got to do with it?Waking up to a hot breakfast being served to you is the right way to start the day. Dick Flap caught up with us this morning so he could eat properly as well, w
  3. Day 93July 15, 2012Half Gallon & HalfwayIt was a rainy night, and I woke with my gear all more wet than when I went to sleep. Then things quickly got worse, as I realized the weakening laces in my Sal
  4. Day 105July 27, 2012Back to my filthy evil, I guessAfter an extended vacation from my vacation, I'm back on the path of the beam. During my week and a half of not hiking I got a lot done. I finally saw Moonrise
  5. Day 106July 28, 2012If you're gonna spew, spew into thisStrangely enough, last nights sleep was the best I've had since I got off the trail. I only woke up once during the night, because I heard what I thought was a

Pennsylvania

  1. Day 107July 29, 2012Does a bear shit in the woods?Once again I was awoken by a loud, wet, fart. This was immediately followed by the sound of a shocked and confused Chris. I did my best to not let my imaginatio
  2. Day 108July 30, 2012There's gliders in them thar woods!For a second time, the Allenberry has been a great place to stay. Once we awoke from our slumber, I threw in a load of laundry, and we made our way to the break
  3. Day 109July 31, 2012The Doyle Rules!I slept in until almost 10am, completely wiped from the day before. If I had known that the rocks would start in earnest today, I may have slept in a little later. It was immediate
  4. Day 109July 31, 2012The Doyle Rules!I slept in until almost 10am, completely wiped from the day before. If I had known that the rocks would start in earnest today, I may have slept in a little lat
  5. Day 110August 1, 2012A Bridge Over SusquehannaSleep was a wonderful thing last night. Somehow being directly across the street from a train line that runs every 30 minutes had no impact. I vacated my room b
  6. Day 110August 1, 2012Keeping the trail safe..?My morning was damp, as expected, but also loud. Everyone was jolted awake by someone on a bullhorn in the distance yelling "Good morning campers!". For some, t
  7. Day 112August 3, 2012Treat YourselfA few animals wandered through camp last night, with the sole purpose of keeping me awake. I eventually fell back to sleep, and when I truly woke Jukebox and Sl
  8. Day 115August 6, 2012Rest, rain, and realityI'm doing a bit of catch-up blogging today, but there wasn't much to write home about. I spent all of Friday at the Days Inn, resting and eating. A day off the
  9. Day 116August 7, 2012The Rocky Road to KatahdinI got back on the trail at 2:30pm yesterday. Joyce brought me back, but had a lot of appointments, so I waited for her in the Hampton Inn lobby. My options were
  10. Day 117August 8, 2012It's a trap!I failed to realize how close we were to a highway before going to bed last night. I also forgot about the train tracks a couple blocks away. Needless to say, i
  11. Day 119June 23, 2013Blue Mountain SummitI'll attempt to summarize the last 2 days, as I wile away the time waiting for my ride in front of a B&B in Andreas, PA. Since I last posted I've fallen from a
  12. Day 436June 23, 2013Welcome back, enjoy the plagueHello true believers, it's that time again. It's been around 10 months since I took myself off the trail, but as of today I am back baby! If you were reading my
  13. Day 437June 24, 2013Jail House, RocksI set up my tent to avoid the hornets, which turned out to be the right plan. I crawled into my little one-man bug net, and listened to mosquitos desperately bu
  14. Day 439June 26, 2013Blueberry Fields ForeverBy the end of the night there were 18 hikers sleeping in the Jail House Hostel. Surprisingly, there wasn't a snoring problem. When I got up I knew my first stop
  15. Day 440June 27, 2013Keep your head downWhen I got out of my tent, around 8am, the only person left in camp was Etch-a-Sketch. I joined her for breakfast, and I'm beginning see different trends in thi
  16. Day 441June 28, 2013Delaware Water GapThe rain came down in sheets last night, whipping up under the large shelter even. It was mostly just a misting under the roof, but surprising nonetheless consi

New Jersey

  1. Day 442June 29, 2013I Love NJI got up, packed my stuff, said my farewells, and walked to breakfast. I'm not a big fan of diner food, but for breakfast on the trail it's absolutely perfect!
  2. Day 443June 30, 2013The shitThe Mohican Outdoors Center gave me a great nights sleep, and when the sun woke me I packed and snuck out. I didn't want to wake the snoring sectioner. I stoppe
  3. Day 445July 2, 2013Farewell BranchvilleYesterday was nice and relaxing. After meeting up with my parents we ate, checked-in to a Holiday Inn, and went to see World War Z. I thoroughly enjoyed the mov
  4. Day 448July 5, 2013Camping in the parkIt was just Shrek and myself left at camp when I crawled out of my sleeping bag liner. I ate a big breakfast to prepare for the 14 miles that would bring me to
  5. Day 451July 8, 2013Know what I mean Vern?I was afraid some kids might be playing basketball and wake me up at some ridiculous hour, but that wasn't the case. I slept well, and upon waking wandered back

New York

  1. Day 452July 9, 2013I H8 NYI enjoyed a nice relaxing zero at the church hostel, hanging out with Fidget (one of the lesbian couple) who was nursing a bad spider bite on her ankle. I ate a
  2. Day 454July 11, 2013Bugs, bugs, bugsLeaving Anton's was tough. I thoroughly enjoyed my zero there, and the couple who owned the place were incredibly kind. The husband even gave me a ride back to
  3. Day 454July 11, 2013Rains, Lanes, and AutomobilesLast night was definitely one of the most sleepless I've ever had, and every other hiker had the same experience. I was bit up all night long, particularly my f
  4. Day 454July 11, 2013So that's what fun feels like..Railsplitter and I got up around 8am today, putting one of the swamp reality shows on tv and lazily wasting the morning. We were both doing 10 miles (plus the 2
  5. Day 456July 13, 2013Another Bear MountainLast night was hands down my best nights sleep on the trail. I didn't wake up until 7:30am, and the bugs didn't keep me awake at all thanks to my tent. When I d