Writer/adventurer Terry Wood, a self-described "all-terrain human," has contributed to The Seattle Times for the past two years.

Fascinated by the American West, Wood has hiked more than 5,000 miles in wilderness lands west of the Rockies. During that time, he has safely sidestepped two grizzly bears, a wolverine, a couple of skunks, a dozen or so rattlesnakes and several mountain bikers.

His bylines also have appeared in Backpacker, the Los Angeles Daily News, The Washington Post and numerous other publications. This was his first attempt to cover the Wonderland Trail in a single trip.

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