Date: 2010-09-15
From: Bemis Mountain Lean-to

To: ME Rte. 17
Miles today: 4.6

Cold morning but we got up and organizing at 7:30. Made breakfast and then Cody, Stickwalker, Carl Sagan, Wild Poodle and I split up Cahoda's gear among us to carry down the mountain so we could lighten Cahoda's pack. Cody, Stickwalker and Carl Sagan headed out and were going to cache the gear a bit off the trail at the bottom of the mountain where we would pick it up. Wild Poodle made a sling out of two bandannas for Cahoda, and the three of us started down the mountain at an easy pace. We were able to get cell service on Second Peak and called David to pick us up at Route 17 about 3:00 this afternoon and that we'd need a ride to a medical facility to get Cahoda's wrist x-rayed. He said he'd be there.Cahoda did great. We only needed to assist her a couple of times on some of the rock walls. We stopped for a snack at First Peak with a beautiful view of the rugged mountains and ponds to the north. There's fewer mountains ahead now before we hit the relatively flat section into Baxter State Park. We were sitting and talking and laughing, just like we always do when we stop to eat, but without the realization yet that this may be the last time this year we'd be doing this together. We passed the distinctive rock cairn on First Peak and then started the serious descent down the mountain. I took the lead trying to find the easiest (for Cahoda) path down the rock walls. We hiked down about 2 miles when we were greeted by three EMT's coming up to meet us. Cody had called them when she got cell service by the road because the rock walls near the bottom of the mountain were serious enough to need two hands. Good call, Cody. The EMT's did their medical thing and re-splinted her arm. Two of them helped Cahoda while the third hiked in front with us. It's a good thing the EMT's came because we couldn¢t have gotten Cahoda safely down four of the walls near the bottom. With about another half mile to go, another team of three rescue people came and set up lines on the difficult rock walls. They helped Cahoda down those but she walked the rest of the trail on her own. We made it to the road and there were at least 18 or more emergency personnel mobilized including a ranger, woods warden, fire department, EMT's, rescue workers, ambulance and even a border patrol officer. There was also a helicopter on stand-by if we needed it. Part of the reason for the big mobilization was because they heard "broken rib", not "broken wrist", and that's a potentially serious injury. Also, when they heard it was a thru-hiker injured, they assumed it was bad because thru-hikers are notorious for hiking through even bad injuries so if they were called, it must be bad. Fortunately that wasn't the case. After a brief picture-taking session, I collected Cahoda's gear that Cody, Stickwalker and Carl Sagan had brought down and the three of us piled into the ambulance for the 1-hour ride to the hospital in Rumford. I was concerned about David but the sheriff told me he had called him and let him know the EMT's were taking us to the hospital.Once at the hospital, Wild Poodle and I headed for the cafeteria while Cahoda went to x-ray and who walks in but David! He wanted to check on his ladies. Turns out Cahoda had to be sent by ambulance to Lewiston, another hour away, because Rumford didn't have an orthopedic who could set and cast her wrist. So Poodle went with Cahoda and I took all our gear back to Pine Ellis with David. Then later in the evening, I rode with David to pick them up and bring them back here. Long, long day. Didn't get back to the hostel until about 11:30 and we all collapsed into a sound sleep.