We retraced our steps back up the flagged route to the summit ridge of Fort Mountain, then made our way westward back along the ridge to the point where the herdpath leading back to North Mountain started.
Note: If you are interested in a detailed GPS trackmap of the way to the crash site, click on the 'GPS Data' link in the table of contents on the left side of the page. On that page, you'll find a downloadable trackmap of our North Brother and Fort hike, including the part that leads to the crash site.
An uneventful half-hour brought us back to North Brother's still-windy summit. The sun had advanced enough to the west to provide better lighting on the various features on the Katahdin Massif, including the remote and rarely-visited Northwest Basin.
After another round of picture-taking and another proof-of-my-summit shot, we headed back down. It was still early - not yet 1pm - and we decided that we had more than enough time to make the long six-plus hour drive home this day - so long as we didn't finish the hike too late.
Soon we were back into the trees, and back on the very nice and easy tread of the Marston Trail. The fine crisp autumn morning had given way, down in these lower altitudes, into a very warm pleasant afternoon. Although we had passed the height of the fall colors, it still felt very autumn-y.
