Long Pond Stream Shelter to Monson, ME – 15 miles

Dad and I finished the 100 Mile Wilderness. We are sweaty and we really need a shower.

This kind of sweaty is different from any kind I’ve experienced before. It’s not like in the dry West, where the moisture evaporates and salt crystals form on your brow like sand grains.

Here, sweat pours from our skin and the humid air doesn’t allow for evaporation. It drips down my face and burns in my eyes. My clothes get so drenched that the paper maps I keep in my pocket are soggy and tattered by the end of the day. Toward the afternoon we often feel wobbly, likely because we are dumping salt out our skin and replacing the lost volume by guzzling liters and liters of plain water. Luckily, the processed foods we carry are full of sodium to replace what we’re losing.

Lake laundry helps a lot but is not perfect. Real laundry in Monson will feel good, but I know the effect won’t last. As soon as I start walking, my clothes will be soaked again.