Date: 2004-05-05
From: Bailey Gap Shelter

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Cinco de Mayo always reminds me of the year I went to Boston to celebrate the Mexican Holiday with my cousin Jay. We couldn't find any parties, and the people we called weren't around, so we bought two bottles of Boones each and went back to his dorm to play cards.    It was hot that day too. Real hot. Too hot to be in a dorm room with no air conditioning and a futile fan that just blew more hot air on us. So our holiday was spent on the fire escape, shirtless, drinking Boones wrapped in a paper bag and playing cards using an overturned garbage can as our table.    We affectionately refer to that memory as Ghetto de Mayo.   Don't worry Jay. Even though this year's Holiday is being spent in the woods, it wasn't quite as ghetto as that one. How could it possibly be?   This years Cinco de Mayo was NOT hot. When we woke up, it was cold and rainy. Neither of those things are great motivators to get out and hike, which resulted in a later start than originally intended. When we got to War Spur shelter, we took a nice long lunch break. It needed to be long because my feet were on FIRE. The nice thing about War Spur shelter was that it marked another milestone for us.   We were now 30% done with the trail.   Country & Ramblin' Man came by before we left and learned that today I wasn't just Leki-Less. I threw them each a nip of Tequilla Rose with a 'Ho, Ho, Ho!   Feliz Cinco de Mayo! Today I am Santana Claus!   They thanked me and we moved out.   As we hiked on, I started running out of water. I did still have my Nalgene full, but that was the water I boiled to keep my feet warm last night. And boiled water doesn't taste great. In addition, I boiled it in the same pot I had cooked my beef-flavored noodles in last night. So it also had a beefy taste. I should have just dumped it this morning and filtered a fresh liter, but it was cold & rainy and I didn't feel like dealing with my filter. I figured I'd keep it in case of an emergency. And with the day getting warmer, the climbs getting bigger, and my good water getting low... drinking the boiled beef water seemed inevitable.   I tried putting it off. With my last drop of fresh water gone, I tried waiting until I absolutely NEEDED to break out the boiled beef water, hoping to find an unmarked water source before then. But the trail we were climbing was pretty steep and I was sweating pretty bad. I was just about to break down when I saw it.   A bird? No.   A plane? No.   TWO COOLERS BY THE SIDE OF THE TRAIL WITH A JUG OF WATER?? YES!!   The mountain seemed less steep as I plowed ahead PRAYING these coolers and that jug weren't empty. And when I lifted the lid, I swear I heard angels sing.   Sodas. Lots of sodas. COLD sodas.   And chocolates. And water.   The note stated that it was left here at the intersection of the trail and a dirt road by a guy named Super Dave. He saved me from the boiled beef water. Thank you, Super Dave.   I wrapped up a nip of Tequilla Rose in paper and duct tape, labeling it "Present for Super Dave." After a couple of cold sodas and some chocolate, we finished up our hike, celebrating Cinco de Mayo with more Tequilla Rose at the shelter with two more hikers we met there, Late Start & Second Chance.   Happy Cinco de Mayo to all. And to all, buenos noches.