On a recent trip up Mount Katahdin with a group of Boy Scouts of Troop 310 in Saco, we had to make the hard decision to turn back and not make it to Baxter Peak even though we could almost see the summit. The group was moving well but on the slow side, which is understandable given that most of the scouts were in the 12-year-old to 13-year-old range with very limited hiking experience. They were accompanied by two Eagle Scouts ages 18 and 19, the scoutmaster and myself (also a former scoutmaster and Eagle Scout, Class of ’82 Troop 310 Millinocket).
We arrived at Chimney Pond and took a break and refilled water bottles and assessed our condition. The weather was fine with high temperatures and mostly clear skies. After talking to Ranger Jennifer Sinsabaugh, who is a friend of mine and a volunteer Search Team Member of Wilderness Rescue Team, we started up The Saddle Trail. Jen had cautioned the group about setting a turnaround time of 1:30 p.m. or 2 p.m. at the latest, and other cautions about the trail. We left Chimney Pond at 11:00 a.m. and reached the top of the Saddle Slide at 1 p.m., taking two hours to go a mile and about 1000 feet in elevation.
We still had another mile and another 1000 feet in elevation to reach Baxter Peak. Initially, the scoutmaster wanted to push on for the summit. I was opposed to this idea and explained my position by pointing out that based on our progress up the Saddle Slide we were still another two hours from the summit. I assured the scoutmaster that we could indeed reach the summit if we pushed on. If we pushed on right up to our agreed turnaround time we still would not make it to the summit and would be further encouraged to ignore the turnaround time because the summit would be that much closer. But the group could make it to Baxter Peak but would violate the turnaround time.
The problem was that we had already been on the trail for five-and-a-half hours, we still had two hours to go to reach the summit, which would be the halfway point of the hike, not the final destination. Based on the current speed of the group, we would not make it back to the cars until 10 p.m. having been on the trail for 15 hours. As it was, even after turning around only one mile short of the summit, we did not get back to the cars until after 6 p.m. with a very tired group of Boy Scouts. To have pushed for the summit would have been a great accomplishment and photo op but at what cost?
There were some in the group who most likely could have pushed on for the summit and made it back down, even in the dark, without issue. It is almost always a bad idea to split the group. The group would naturally split into the more experienced/fit group and the lesser experienced/less fit group. The group more likely to have problems would be the less experienced/less fit group. If they did have a problem the members of their group who would have been their best asset would not be with them because of the split. A group should only move as fast as the slowest person. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
For the stronger people in the party to abandon the weaker members of the group to simply satisfy their personal ego and tag the summit is selfish at best and at the least irresponsible.
I am reminded of a quote by Ed Viesturs: “Getting to the top is optional. Getting down (safely) is mandatory.”
Your chances of getting hurt are greater on the way down. Setting a turnaround time and sticking with it is very important. The turnaround time needs to be set when you have no other distractions and is best done in the initial planning stage. You need to figure out how long you think the trip to the summit will take and then factor in fatigue, lighting conditions, and calculate an absolute latest time to turnaround and stick to it.
Many of the people who lost their lives in the 1996 Everest disaster could attribute part of their problem to ignoring the established turnaround time.
One of the more common tasks for SAR teams on standby in Baxter is dealing with overdue hikers who ignored their turnaround time if they even had one. This involves hiking in to meet them with extra water, snacks, head lamps and other things. It is OK to push your limits as long as it is done with safety in mind and the condition of every member of the group. Set reasonable goals for the entire group and remember that the mountain will always be there for another attempt.
For more information, check out the following resources:
— Maine Association for Search and Rescue, emainehosting.com/masar.
— Maine Search and Rescue Dogs, mesard.org.
— Pine Tree Search and Rescue, pinetreesar.com.
— Maine Wilderness Guides Organization, mainewildernessguides.org.
— Pine Tree Search and Rescue Facebook page, facebook.com/PineTreeSearchAndRescue.
Bryan Courtois is a hiker and camper who is an active registered Maine guide, head of Pine Tree Search and Rescue, a volunteer search and rescue responder and the statewide education director and a member of the board of directors for Maine Association Search and Rescue.