Night in the woods

This story is a work of fiction, created to provide an illustration to the potential pitfalls that can occur while participating in a seemingly benign adventure. This scenario is a story of how an innocent hiking trip became more of a "survival" situation. The plan is to traverse 210-miles of the Appalachian Trail in a week. Three friends have been planning a week long backpacking trip along the Appalachia Trail. For the last two years, Wyatt, Haywood, and Jared have worked out and practiced their hiking and camping skills off and on as work allowed. As the time for their trip approached, they continued to refine their plan to traverse the trail. The excitement and anticipation continued to build until the day finally arrives.