Lost?

No, not the hit ABC TV show. Or your latest trials getting to the trailhead last weekend. But really lost. Have you ever been really lost? Donn Fendler has. Back in July of 1939 this 12-year old became separated from his family and friends on a hike up Mount Katahdin. A storm had engulfed the mountain creating a blinding, icy fog. Donn had struck off just ahead of his hiking party after reaching the Tableland from the Hunt Trail (AT). But that one seemingly trivial decision (that we have probably all done at one time or another) transitioned into a life-altering experience. For 9 days, he wandered through some of the roughest terrain in Maine, losing his water-soaked blue jeans and shoes, encountering bears, and unrelenting bugs. His initial panic was calmed by his Boy Scout training and his devotion to higher powers, and his 35 miles of wandering finally brought him to safety. And if you haven’t read the book “Lost on a Mountain in Maine” told through Donn’s words by author Joseph Egan, it is a must read. He received a medal from President Franklin D. Roosevelt for his experience. And this New York native has other ties to Maine- he attended Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield as well as the University of Maine, and now summers in Newport. He has told his tale to hundreds of school children from Maine and all over the country. He will be at Kidney Pond in Baxter State Park on July 29 to tell his tale, and will give his annual address at the Cole Land Transportation Museum in September. You can also check out his website.