Dorie and I planned a trip to Maine to get out of the Carolina heat. Ken and Quinn joined us there. We didn’t know Tropical Storm Debbie would meet us there.
Planning this hike requires permits, parking passes and general red tape. So, to minimize that, I planned a guided hike. I was to meet the group of 6 at 0530, but when I set the alarm, I missed the fact that it was set to pm (need the 24hr clock). I woke up at 530 and Ken was waiting at the door to take me to the trailhead. I called the group to tell them I was late and asked if they would wait. We were 20 minutes away. I dressed in the car. We arrived at the pickup point and no van. So, Ken took me to the park entrance, because I was told everyone waits at the entrance until 0700 when the rangers open the gates. The park was open but still no van, so Ken drove me 8 miles to the trailhead hoping to catch the group. Still no van. I decided to hike it solo. Ken and I agreed on a 1700 pick-up which gave me a turn-around time if I didn’t summit.
It was cloudy and drizzling with heavy rain in the forecast. There were 5-6 groups ranging from 2 to 15 people preparing to hike. Seeing that, I felt comfortable and logged into the ranger book and took off.
Even though it was only 5,267 feet, all reports said this was a serious mountain and all trails were rated very strenuous. All correct. It started uphill with large wet boulders. The drizzle turned into light rain. While I was hiking, the van driver was driving around looking for me. There was a big screwup as to the correct meeting place. It also turned out that all of the group cancelled because of the weather. There was no cell service, and he didn’t know I was soloing. He drove to several trailheads and left messages with the rangers. One ranger even called Dorie (my emergency contact). She didn’t panic because Ken reported I was going solo, and she told the ranger I was an experienced hiker. But everyone was on the lookout for me.
In the meantime, I was slogging it up the mountain. The light rain had turned to rain so about halfway up, most of the groups were turning around. The trail was slippery rocks and puddles and there were no switchbacks, just straight up. About two miles from the summit, I had to negotiate a boulder avalanche field (think Mt Williamson bowl but uphill), then the almost vertical mountain face to reach the saddle a mile from the summit. The face was about 1/2-mile climbing. All the other groups except a young couple and I turned back here. I was in a cloud so I could not see the exposure which was a good thing. The rain had turned to heavy rain. All my weather gear couldn’t hold up to the downpour and I was soaked. About ½ mile from the summit the rain had turned to sleet. I made the summit and tried to take a picture, but my phone got wet and died. (I pulled the summit sign picture from the web) I didn’t linger and headed back down. Getting back down the face of the saddle was treacherous and slow going. At least I was back in the rain not in the sleet. No one was on the trail on the way back. The trail had become a stream.
I made it back to the ranger station and they came out to greet me since I was on their “watch” list. I had dry socks and shirt in a plastic bag in my pack, so I ducked into a wood shed to get some warm dry clothes on. It was 1630 and Ken showed up exactly ay 1700 as planned. It’s great when a plan works out.
Ken had gone fly fishing. Dorie and Quinn had toured the gallery and museum in Millinocket, ME and were having oysters and beer when I got down. Those 3 made a better choice than I. This was a hike equal in difficulty to any I’ve done on the west coast, made more interesting with 5” of rain. I cannot imagine ending the 2,198-mile Appalachian Trail summitting Katahdin as a finale. (click on any slide to view show)
Cool adventure! Up north conditions are so different than in California.
PS – Dorie and I were moose hunting, too! We were not as successful as my intrepid father.