KrispyKritter, also known as Wayne Petrovich is from a part of Florida that has
been hit by three hurricanes so far this season. While it sustained some damage
from the first two storms, Wayne hasn't seen it, since he's been on the trail
since March 15th.
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| On the AT, Wayne Petrovich is known as KrispyKritter. |
KrispyKritter came into the Magic City Morning Star & Hard Drive Cafe on
September 27th, having summited on the 24th.
During the 2,174 mile trek, he slept mostly in shelters, hostels, hotels, and
homes, although he did spend some nights in his tent.
His favorite part of the Appalachian Trail was all of New England. Not only
was the geography spectacular, but the people he met along the way were very
friendly, rivaling the southern hospitality he was used to, being from the
south. The mountains of the part of the trail leading through New England were
beautiful, especially the Frankonia Ridge, the Whites, the Presidential Range,
and the 100 Mile Wilderness in Maine.
The worst part of the trip was being on the trail knowing that his wife was
at home in Florida with the hurricanes. At one point, he almost got off the
trail because of this concern, but his wife persuaded him to continue.
"You're almost there," she told him. "There's nothing you can do."
Other than this concern, KrispyKritter said that there was no point in which
he even considered quitting.
"I'd recommend it to anybody," he said. "It's an experience you'll always
remember."
He said of the other hikers he met along the way, that there were very few
who were in their thirties or forties. Rather, they were divided into two
groups: the young and the old. People in their thirties and forties are not
generally in financial or home situation that allows them the freedom to get
away for months at a time.
KrispyKritter said that this was his first AT thru-hike, although he had done
some section hiking, and backpacking. He doesn't think he'll do it again,
however, because it wouldn't be fair to his wife for him to be away for so long
at a time again.
Hiking the Appalachian Trail, he said that he developed one-word descriptions
for the states he went through. The word for Maine was "roots." Vermont was
"mud," thinking of the state as "Vermud." Massachusetts was "mosquitoes."
Pennsylvania was "rocks," Virginia was "rain," and the word for Georgia was
"pud," meaning "pointless ups and downs."
Asked what the people of Millinocket might do to be more hiker friendly, he
said that it would be helpful if someone would develop an information packet
showing the location and availability of hotels, motels, restaurants, banks,
ATMs, laundromats, drugstores, places where they could get a haircut, and other
things that someone who has been away for months might need.
Also, he said that a shuttle from Baxter State Park to Millinocket would be
helpful.
"Everyone in Millinocket has been very friendly," he said, specifically
naming Debbie at the Appalachian Trail Cafe, the people at the Moose Shed, and
the Trading Post.
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