Date: 2007-08-22
From: Past Mt. Garfield

To: hostel
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: overcast clouds

mi. 9.9sleep hosteldest. hostel day 41 Today was absolutly the most crazy day with the best trail magic to date. If you read one day read today's. Let me start at the beginning. I woke up really late for the trail. My latest yet at 7:30am. All the nights with bad sleep in the huts caght up with me. Fire Work was still asleep. I got up and ate and started to pack up. Everyone else woke up shortly after. After I packed up and got water from the pond, Fire Work told me about all the noises coming from their tent. I was far enough away I couldn't hear anything. Lets just say he said they were making some adult noises to say the least. I am really glad I wasn't 3 feet from them. The hike up was great. First Mt Lafayette, followed by a really long ridgewalk and 2 more peaks. The middle one was Mt Lincoln. It was aound 10am and we were walking alone chatting it up. Still something new to me. This was only my 20th something mile hiking with someone this whole time. We were talking about Tobeoshe {really bad spelling} the hot dog eating contest winner. We were talking about how he got eat by a skinny American guy this year and how we had no idea how they could eat that much. When someone standing there next to his pack said he knew why. He said it was all positive thinking and power of the mind. It makes sense. At 57 hot dogs it is really mind over body. He then said that if we wanted to stay at the peak he had something for us. We talked about this later and both thought it would be some religous stuff. We were both a little hesitante. Then he mentions Margaritta's. It took me all of 1 sec to say yes and drop my pack. That is one of my favorite drinks. They guy by the name of Trail Mix pulled out a battery powered blender. He pulled out a Nalgene with a Margaritta mix. He had us take a sip of it. Now I use to work in a Mexican resturante and feel I know good Margarittas. This stuff tasted top shelf. All lime juice, none of that sweat and sour crap you get a cheap bars. And great Teaquila. There were even chunks of limes in it. It tasted great. He them pulls out a naglene in a naglene winter cooler pouch. It is full of ice. We were blending up fresh Margaritta's on top of Mt Linclon. It 5,089 feet my highest Margaritta to date. He then asks us if we want to listen to any music. He pulls out his IPOD and speakers. He puts on Bob Marely, followed by Lynard Skynard, Black Eye Peas, Greatful dead, and the some old Johnny Cash. We were talking for the longest time. The top of this mountain is maybe 10 or 20 yards in diameter. We were sitting pretty much on the trail. For awhile a couple different groups of people were talking to us. The best part is some either day hikers or people staying at the huts walked by and made one of those faces. One of those Ahh, I really don't approve faces. We all just bust up laughing. This 30 something year old French Canadian woman walks up. We all start talking with her. She said she was at one of the huts and heard the AT speal. She was inspired to hike the trail someday. She ended up staying and talking for about an hour. She said how she really liked Margaritta's. We made another bach and shared. She then got the trail Name Margaritta. She then chimes in that after hearing the AT talk she wanted and great name but couldn't think of one. Her middle name was also Margarite. So it all seemed to fit. The funny part was that after an hour she said she better get going. She was there with her ex-husband and kids, and that they were probibly waiting on the next ridge. They were probibly wondering what was taking her so long. Then Barbraosa pulls up followed by a northbounder. It didn't take them long to stop. Then Chomp from yesterday and his buddy pulled up. Trail Mix then pulls a kit from his pack. We all try to fly it but couldn't get it going. I got a great shoot of me trying to fly a kite on top of a mountain. Something I am definitly trying again. Chomp and his buddy took off sometime after this. Trail mix then decided to fix the meal he was saving for later. He asked if anyone had a pot and spoon. Firework got out his spoon and the northbounder his pot. Trailmix then cooked up sausages with fresh onions and peppers. He then got out 6 small french loafs. That happened to be just enough for him and all the thru-hikers standing up there. They tasted great. We ended up relaxing, drinking, eating, and chatting up there for around 3 hours. I think my face good a lot of sun. We were talking to Trailmix about it. He comes up every Aug 22th. He always brings a little extra food and drink. Usually he saves it for Mt Lafyette, but this time Lincoln felt right. He works in NYC in TV. We switch contact info and he said to get ahold of him if we were in the area. I might have to make a side trip at this point. He was also telling us that he is planning to take a 100 day trip around the world. One of those trips you start and just let the trip take you where it does. He was leaving in a month or so, but might be in NYC when we pass by. He was also one of those really positive high energy people that change your outlook on things. He said that we should try to do this with him next year. After we finally left we both mentioned we should try to do this next year. We could also not get over the complete randomness of it all. He does this once a year and we happened to catch him on that date. At the peak and not passing him on the way. We were planning most of the previous day, but decided not to. Firework was planning to hike all the way into Lincoln yesterday but decided to wait one more day. We were also hiking faster than usual. All the little things fell into place to make this happen. This trail magic is going to be really hard to beat. It is going to be one of those times that no matter how cold and nasty or what my mood is, I can't help but smile when I think about it. This and my night on the lake with Christin and Bre have to be my favorite single moments on the trail.