Date: 2003-09-16
From: Long Pond Stream Lean-to

To: Fourth Mountain
Miles today: 6.1

Today is for Nellie and Jackie Kirwan and all the Kirwan families. Another early morning as the Big Mountain , Kathadin seems to be calling me in ever-louder whispers. Seabees and I hit the road before 7. Commander in Chief left even earlier. Constant Motion and her cousin are eating a proper breakfast. A long, hardish climb up Barren Mountain on a cold, damp and misty morning. My hands are cold but I soon warm up. No views from the top, but frankly, I was not worried. The past few days were so clear that I don¢t mind the odd cloud covered mountain. But I had to keep my eyes constantly peeled on the rocks and roots. Four miles in three hours, it was time to eat. Cloud Pond Lean-to was 0.4 miles off the Trail so we decided to give that one a skip and eat our meal on the Trail. Water should be no problem up the road. In fact, it was. We had to scoop water from a small stream and filter it through Seabees¢ less than clear bandana. While we were thus engaged, Constant Motion and Jim came along. They too needed water. We had a nice chat and laughed as the rains started. Everyone was prepared for hail, rain or snow!! Only another few days to go. We were getting ready to climb Fourth Mountain, Third Mountain and Columbus which came after the Chairback. All reports were that it would be tough. Constant Motion and her cousin went ahead. Seabees followed. I was bringing up the rear. The climb up Fourth Mountain started with no introductions, straight up, wet and rocky. The other three were about 200 yards ahead of me. I could hear them talking to Sobos. I caught up and said hello and followed the other group. Another man was moving cautiously downhill. He stepped to one side to allow me pass. ( Uphill has the right of way). We greeted and I moved on. The rain was getting heavier and it was very cold. I had gone about 10 yards when I heard the crash. The last man had taken a very heavy fall. I actually saw him hit the deck and roll down on the wet rocks. I shouted to those ahead and went back taking off my pack as I did so. Constant Motion came running back. The others didn¢t hear and kept moving in the rain. Slowly we lifted the injured man into a sitting position. He was cut and bruised, but his knee was the big worry. Constant Motion was excellent and must have had training. She put my knee brace on the injured knee and he and his buddy thought that they might make it to where their car was parked about 5 miles away. I was less sure. He got to his feet and tried to put his weight on his good leg with the help of his hiking pole. Without warning, he collapsed in a heap and was lucky he didn¢t split his head on a rock. They had no jackets or rain gear. I got my poncho and covered both men, who huddled in the rain. The injured man, Frank Sargent, from Raleigh, North Carolina, did have a cell phone. Miraculously, Constant Motion was able to call out. She called Shaws and they in turn, called the Rangers. We sent the other man to get his car and make a run for it. No point in having two problems on our hands. It was savage cold and with no chance of help for a few hours, we had to do something. Just then, Mothman appeared on the scene. Just before that I had searched around for somewhere to pitch my tent. I knew we had to have some shelter. I found a place about 200 yards away and set up camp in the heavy rain. Everything was wet. But how do we get Frank to the tent? While Constant Motion kept in touch with the rescue service, Frank, using his hands inched his way down over the rocks. Mothman and I took turns keeping his leg straight. He reached the bottom of the hill and then had to arse his way up over rocks and roots to the tent. He was a lovely and never once complained. It took us nearly an hour to travel 200 yards and get Frank ¢comfortable¢ in the tent. We were soaking wet and cold. Constant Motion then decided to hike on and catch the others up ahead. She was worried, as they didn¢t know what was happening. She left her sleeping bag with me and the phone with Mothman who also set up his tent. We tried to get warm as we waited for the rescue team. While everything was wet in the tent, at least we were in out of the rain and wind. Around 4 pm two Rangers and a Medic arrived. They had found a ¢logging road¢, which brought them to within I mile of where we were. They complimented us for all we had done and especially for such precise directions. The medic checked out the injured man and decided that there was no way he could be taken out over the rough terrain. The Helicopter Service was contacted, but with the rain and heavy cloud, that would only be possible next morning. The Rangers left us with blankets, food and water. The medic stayed the night. It was a long, wet and coldish night. We chatted and dozed for 20-30 minute stretches. When the rain finally stopped, the temperature increased. The Navy team would arrive before 8 am next morning. Frank chatted and told his story during the night. He had already hiked the entire A.T. without ever spending a night on the Trail. He was known as ¢Motel Man¢. This was his first compulsory night on the Appalachian Trail.