Date: 2009-10-11
From: Crawford Pond

To: Potaywadjo Spring Lean-To
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: light rain

When we awoke at Crawford Pond, Jungli s arm was in bad shape and we knew that we had a bit of a problem. We went through all of the different scenarios:  Does she need immediate help? Can she bear the pain for a couple of days to get her out of the wilderness? Should we walk backwards and try to call Shaw s? Should we hike on to White House Landing?  In the end, The Vortex came together with a plan. It was found out after the hike that Jungli actually had multiple fractures (three in total), but we were still a bit in the dark as to her condition. But, her mind and body were strong and she was determined to give hiking a go. I told the others that they should continue their hike and that I would lag behind and help Jungli through the wilderness. But, first, we split up all of her equipment so that she could be  slackpacked  the rest of the way out of the wilderness. So, each person took roughly 2-3 lbs of her stuff ¢ items that would not be used ¢ and I, too, carried a few items and all of her food. My pack went from heavy to very heavy in just a few minutes. We came together for one last picture, not knowing if Jungli and I would see our friends again. Truth be told, Jungli kicked ass in the wilderness. Each morning, I would have to put her shoes on, tie her shoes, cook her food, clean the pots, get water, put the pack on, get all the straps together, and then send her on her way. She said to me,  Geez, I feel like I m getting ready for the school bus!  And, then she looked down at me and said,  It must be tough being a single dad . Yes, it was. So, I would send her on her way early in the morning and then gather my belongings, get everything ready, which would take about an hour, and then try to chase after her. With the heavy pack and all, I really couldn t keep up. She had a backpack and her sleeping pad and this was it.When I arrived to Cooper Brook Falls Lean-To, I checked out the trail register, which had lots of emotional support for Jungli from Chef and the BC s. It was awesome to see people nearly forego their hike for a fellow thru-hiker. Unfortunately, on this day, Jungli didn t have her rain cover, as she had given it to me, and a huge squall came through with sleeting rain and I had to run just to catch up to her. She was virtually soaked by the time I reached her, but she also knew that I couldn t predict the weather. When we stopped for lunch, the sun had reappeared and we sat down next to a big tree that had fallen on the trail. I was cracking up because Jungli had to keep her arm elevated into the air (above her heart) and it appeared as if she was asking a question in class. Then, Beechucker showed up, who was completely oblivious to the previous evening s events, and showed his condolences for Jungli. He agreed to take some more of her stuff from my pack so that I didn t have to bear all the brunt. Jungli was still flying ahead and then Chucks and I still had trouble catching up to her. We arrived at Potaywadjo Spring Lean-To freezing. The temperatures were now dropping to 15 degrees and the two locals from Maine that we met in the shelter explained that any day now it would be snowing and that we better make our way to Katahdin soon before it closes. Again, I had to help Jungli take off her shoes, change her clothing, cook her food, get her sleeping bag ready, etc. ¢ all before I even considered getting my own things together. It was quite a task, but I also took pride in helping her. She woke up a few times at night as well to go to the bathroom and I had to help her unzip her sleeping bag and make her way outside. I didn t sleep many hours on this freezing night.