Date: 2011-04-03
From: Horse Gap

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: overcast clouds

April 3, 2011: Tequila Joe and other greatness START: Horse GapFINISH: Woody GapSTEPS: 36,046MILES: 9.9I awoke at around 8:00 to the sound of a woodpecker tattooing his steady rhythm upon a nearby tree. In the distance I could hear another woodpecker doing likewise. I had been awakened during the night by a cacophony of sounds: a small animal scurrying around our tent (which put Tessa immediately on the alert; interestingly she didn¢t bark, but she dashed back and forth inside the tent trying to investigate the sound and smells. It looked like she was hunting.), an owl hooting, and the sounds of the army doing some sort of exercises. There was the repeated sound of artillery exploding, and numerous helicopters throughout the night. I¢m hoping somebody will be able to look it up on line and see what military base practices their maneuvers in the area. I understand that this is a regular occurrence, and that sometimes hikers will even spot infantry practicing on the ground. At any rate, an interesting, if none-too-restful, night.I made somewhat of a mistake last night. I drank the last of my water before bed, reasoning that the next water source was only 3-4 miles away, an easy walk once I woke up. Well yes it¢s an easy walk on the Zilker hike and bike trail. It¢s certainly NOT easy here! I am hiking up and down mountains, for Pete sake! I found myself getting pretty darned thirsty after just a couple of miles (and nearly a couple of hours). I was even laughingly composing an Ode to a Diet Dr. Pepper in my mind. Just as I reached a gap (a valley¢¦they call them ¢gaps¢ here) between two mountains, I encountered my first ¢Trail Magic¢. (Trail magic is when someone performs a random act of kindness for hikers, with no expectations in return.) These three lovely people had set up a table loaded with cookies, Snickers bars, pastries, and bagels with cream cheese. Not only that, but they had ice-cold Diet Coke, and while it wasn¢t a Diet Dr. Pepper, it was a more than satisfactory substitute. I was in ecstasy. I chose a bagel with cream cheese, which I shared with Tessa, and two glasses of Diet Coke. They told me that they¢d been lugging the Diet Coke around for a couple of weekends but none of the hikers wanted it; they wanted the full-sugar, full-carb version. I happily accepted the Diet version because, believe it or not, I actually prefer the taste. Oh, and they had water! So Tessa and I breakfasted and hydrated thanks to these wonderful Trail Angels (that¢s what the hikers call folks who perform Trail Magic), and made our way far more comfortably to the next water source. And I learned a lesson: never drink the last of your water the night before if the next water source is more than a mile away!I also learned another lesson. While tenting on a slight incline seems like a good idea in the absence of a pillow, the reality is that you¢ll end up sliding down to the foot of your tent over the course of the night. This is because these high-tech fabrics that everything is made of (tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, etc.) all seem to be super slippery, especially against one another! So with every toss and turn, I also found myself sliding incrementally further down in the tent. By morning, my legs and feet were somewhat curled up in a fetal-like position. I don¢t remember reading about that in any of my research!Pat sent me off with $80.00 cash, and he asked me if I thought it would be enough. I got a kick out of that as I looked around at my environment. Pat, I still haven¢t spent that money. I think I must have missed the trail exit for the convenience store.I took care of some deeply personal business today in the woods, business that I¢d been regretting. It wasn¢t nearly the awkward situation I feared it would be, and I think the local bears would be proud. I took care of things in the manner of LNT (Leave No Trace), and all in all, I think it went rather well, although I think that I will never look at Rodin¢s ¢The Thinker¢ in quite the same way.The stars have been absolutely incredible at night. Even without a moon, the stars are so bright that the dome of my tent is softly illuminated (which is why I could see the outline of last night¢s bat). The big dipper is easy to spot almost directly overhead. How I wish I knew how to identify more of the constellations! Big Dipper, Orion and Draco¢¦that¢s all I know. Soon the stars will be all but invisible under the woodland canopy. For now, though, they are dramatic, and I am enjoying them immensely. They seem unnaturally close! I see the Big Dipper almost immediately overhead. I am guessing that the wonderful intensity of the stars¢ beauty here is a lack of light pollution, because I¢ve seen this beautiful sky before, always in remote locations. It¢s the same sky our grandmas and grandpas have been gawking at for millennia, and it mesmerizes us all, generation after generation. To whomever told me that I wouldn¢t notice my own smell: you¢re wrong. I stink. I mean, I really stink. Only three days in and already I can hardly stand myself. This is going to be tough to get used to, I fear. Oh, well. You know, I read somewhere once that Napoleon Bonaparte once wrote to his wife of his wishes that she not bathe herself until his return a month hence. He wanted to revel in her full, ripe, womanly aromas. I shudder to even think of it. Yuck! Three days is the longest I¢ve ever gone without bathing (Air Force survival training), and I am about to surpass that. Wow. What a change from my usual daily routine, which sometimes included multiple showers depending on my activity level! I feel so primitive! (And I think I probably smell pretty primitive, too.)I love this. I feel incredibly alive. It¢s hard, and the thing is I know I haven¢t seen anything yet, but I¢m feeling good about this. For the next while, this is my job. My feet are a bit sore, my legs are a bit sore, I¢m a bit winded MANY times each day, but all of that is okay, because I know that each of these aches and pains will make me stronger and fitter.I was given a trail name but I don¢t think I want to keep it. Just to let you know a bit of trail culture, it¢s pretty common for hikers to go by an alias on the trail. This sort of thing is common among groups, such as fraternities, military troops, or any group who is sharing a common experience that is beyond the scope of typical living. Trail names are fun, descriptive, and far more memorable than our everyday names. For instance, let me introduce you to a fellow I met today by the name of Tequila Joe.Tequila Joe, I believe, probably lives on the trail. He was as kind and charming as he could be, and I enjoyed our brief exchanges at two water sources where we encountered one another. Seems Tequila¢s been hiking these parts for a couple of decades, and although his pack weight has steadily decreased, it¢s still mighty heavy. Rumor has it that Tequila has to buy a month¢s worth of food when his federal check comes in at the start of each month so that he can be sure to eat. After that, well, if the rest should go toward that elixir for which he is named, at least he¢ll be able to eat. And as far as a home, he¢s a transient just like the rest of us; only his transience seems to be permanent. I get the feeling that Tequila Joe is a trail fixture, and after my meetings with him, I¢d have to say the trail is better for his presence. He fits quite well, and was a pleasure to pass a moment with. Too bad you were out, Joe¢¦I¢d have loved to have shared a shot with you! Happy Trails, friend.So, I haven't told you the trail name I was offered. A trail name is like a "handle," something you can select for yourself before your trip or something you can allow others to choose for you, but traditionally, long-distance hikers don¢t choose their own trail name. It is chosen for them, but they have the right to accept or decline a proposed name. I am rejecting the first trail name given because I just don't like it, even though like the spirit in which it was given. Someone told me that my personality was so happy and bubbly that I should go by "Bubbles." I thanked him because he meant it kindly, but to me "Bubbles" sounds like either an exotic dancer or a clown, neither of which quite fits. So I'm still awaiting my trail name. I'll know it if I hear it. Hey, how about some suggestions? Give me some ideas that describe me, and I'll take poll regarding the proposed names I'd be willing to adopt. Help me find my trail name!