Section hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT) is popular to those who don’t have the months of free time necessary for a complete single-effort thru-hike. Section hiking allows a person to break the thing up into manageable chunks. The downside to this is the waiting between sections can drag on for weeks, months, years, even decades. These extended gaps can allow us to grow older and to become less capable — the reality of life. And the longer this goes on, the longer our momentum is lost, the tougher it becomes to get moving again, driving the level of effort needed upwards. This is a tough spot to be in. We remember how “easy” it all seemed before but this can be a trap.
This was the situation for one guest who came to us looking for a guide to help him continue his journey. Behind him, complete, was Springer Mountain in Georgia all the way to the summit of Mt Washington here in New Hampshire. All that was left was the rest of New Hampshire and Maine. Seems like there was light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, but that, of course, just isn’t so. The toughest sections were still ahead of our now 77 year-old guest. For him, this would be a huge challenge. One that he was hoping he could overcome. Granted, he’s fitter than 99% of Americans his age, so trying was worth the effort. Let’s do this! On lead was Redline Guide Rhonda Willette and with Mike Cherim’s help they would start from the summit of the Rock Pile.
As it turned out, the difficult terrain heading northward from our location is extremely rugged. This was going to prove harder than was anticipated. So much so the team threw in the towel before reaching Mt Jefferson. The best course of action for Rhonda at this point was to turn our guest around and backtrack to Jewell Trail, then head down from there. But getting down was going to reveal more challenges. Our guest was in good spirits but really tired. He needed to rest up. In the interest of safety, the team would spend the night on the mountain. Redline Guide Debra McCown helped by bringing a few added supplies up to the overnight team, some more food and water, a stove, etc. All that would be necessary for an overnight stay so they could resume their descent in the morning and Mike could drive them back to the start.
After the fact our guest was happy, was super impressed by the team, but he decided that finishing the AT might not be in the cards. Adding to this summary, Rhonda penned a few words of her own. These, along with some photos, follow.
Our recent AT section hike began on a beautiful day atop Mount Washington, with plans to cross the Northern Presidentials and stay at Madison Hut. As we moved along the ridge, it became clear that the rugged terrain and wind were taking more out of our guest than expected — something the Whites are known for, even among experienced hikers.
After a thoughtful assessment, the safest and most comfortable choice was to turn around, head for the Jewell Trail, and get below treeline to shelter in place for the night. We reached a protected tent site and had adequate gear, and thanks to Debra at Redline Guiding running up additional water, food, and gear, our overnight was even more comfortable.
We were treated to a stunning sunset, and our guest enjoyed a peaceful night under the stars — even spotting the Big Dipper overhead. Spirits were good, and after a solid rest, our guest was able to make the remaining miles down the trail the next morning. —Rhonda
