Date: 2011-08-15
From: Long Pond Lean-to

To: Shaw's Hostel
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

Day 147 - It rained off and on all night so everything I am carrying is damp and heavy. I was up at 6:00am and on the trail at 7:20am. I spent 20 minutes this morning getting water behind the lean-to, down in a ravine. This slowed me down but I could not afford to pass up the opportunity to get water. I knew I had a tough day in front of me, I had 15 miles to get to ME 15 and into Monson. After 30 minutes on the trail I had to cross a 15 yard wide creek. While rock jumping, half away across I slipped and my feet went into the water. I had to wring the water out of my socks, pour what water I could out of my boots and move on. It really did not matter because at 9:00am it started to rain and did not stop all day. I was able to hike with a gentleman named Doug from upstate NY for about an hour. He is a Baptist minister and enjoys doing this for a couple of days. Hiking with someone does help to pass the time and gets your mind off the steps. I did not eat lunch, I could not afford the time plus there was no way to stop and get out of the rain. For the last couple of days, the trail either goes through bogs or over rocks or roots, nothing really flat. Much of the trail goes over either granite or slate rocks at an angle, with no direction on how to get up them or down them. Around 3:00pm while going down a 45* slope I slipped on my right leg, hip and hand. My calf immediately started to cramp, so instead of trying to work the cramp out I stood up and stretched. I did not want a repeat of Daleville where both legs cramped and I was unable to move. I know I am a little dehydrated but I am not sure how I can drink more water. I did slice the back side of my right hand, a clean slice but not too deep. I was really counting down the miles now. I had hoped to have gotten to ME 15 by 3:00pm but that hour passed and I still had 3 miles left. Finally, at 6:03pm, I walked out of the 100 mile wilderness, soaking wet, a little chilled but I knew a shower and dry bed were waiting for me at Shaw's Hostel. The 100 mile wilderness is wilderness indeed. There are no roads, only logging roads along this portion. There was the parking lot at Gulf Hagas, so if you had to get off the trail I guess you could do that. The road, Jo-Mary, to which Paul brought my food is 12 miles away from a main road. So, one is really deep in the wilderness when they hike this section. I am not sure how a hiker could be extracted from the trail if that need arose. The guidebook said to plan on this section to take 8-10 days to transverse this 100 miles, I think this is a little long as I was able to do it in 7 days. I called Shaw's hostel at 6:05pm and Dick came and got me and I was in the shower at 6:30pm. My feet are a mess, hiking that long in wet socks and boots are starting to take its toll. I have what looks like bed sores on them, hopefully the skin will not break through. Neither of the two restaurants are open on Monday night in Monson, so I had to walk down to the gas station, in the rain, where they had a short order grill. Everything is carry out so I walked back and ate my cheeseburger with the other 6 or so hikers at Shaw's. Needless to say, it tasted great and I was in my dry bed at 9:00pm. In talking to the northbound hikers and in reading various articles they say Maine is the toughest state. I am now convinced that is true. It is pretty, but it will absolutely kick your butt. With the 15 miles today my total now registers at 1,235.2 with 945.8 remaining.