Would You Stop?

[fredmugs]

I just saw on Mike Hanson's Facebook page that he stopped a half mile short of the Katahdin summit so that the people he was hiking with could open their store the next day. I'm guessing they were his transportation out of the park and they apparently reached the summit earlier that day.

It is a remarkable feat for anyone to thru hike and for someone who is blind to do it even more remarkable. Obviously if he made it that far he really had nothing to prove by reaching the summit.

I'm sure there's more to this story but it seems strange to me that after such an amazing journey he would voluntarily stop that close to the top.

[Pedaling Fool]

I haven't really followed his hike and did not read his entry about stopping on Katahdin. But, (and only judging by your post) I have to wonder if it's a fabricated story. Then again maybe it really doesn't matter to him since he can't take in the view.

[Lone Wolf]

i call BS on the whole thing

[max patch]

I think he stopped just to give WBer's something to argue about.

[fredmugs]

I think he stopped just to give WBer's something to argue about.

We never run out of things to argue about. Here's the FB page.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...n/189755727503

[halftime]

We never run out of things to argue about. Here's the FB page.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...n/189755727503

Website also: http://blindhiker.wordpress.com/

[jersey joe]

Very odd that he didn't summit. Why not wait a day or two until the weather improves?

[rickb]

Perhaps the group had established a hard and fast absolute latest turn around time prior to beginning their assent.

On some climbs that can be a wise approach, I think.

[fiddlehead]

If true, he has my respect.
Talk about an ego-less person.

[max patch]

Perhaps the group had established a hard and fast absolute latest turn around time prior to beginning their assent.

I bet that is probably what happened. Leaving so someone can "get to work on time" doesn't ring true to me.

What I'm wondering is why they didn't summit with sleeping bags and tent so that if time ran short - which is what I think really happened - that this situation didn't happen. I bet if they had asked permission the ranger would have allowed them to spend the nite if they needed to given Mike's blindness.

[nitewalker]

go to his website and look at hie picture series 1 then 2. the pics are a set up like a small jurnal for his climb up the big K. it explains why the turnaround...

[nitewalker]

seems i had a brain fart when writing that post.....spelling and punctuation????

[Spokes]

go to his website and look at hie picture series 1 then 2. the pics are a set up like a small jurnal for his climb up the big K. it explains why the turnaround...

His wordpress site say he cut it short to take advantage of a business opportunity. That's totally antithetical to the concept of a thru-hike.

[Pedaling Fool]

It's just all so fkn' stupid