We meet, he's a Hayduker. He looks "fresh". Not grizzled like most of the ones that come through. Those that have hiked a trail before have a look. They have seen it, been through it, know about it. Their step has no wasted movement. The trail eases out of their pores. They wear the trail, as wanderers.
I'm nervous for him.
Me: "What trails have you done before?"
Him: "What do you mean?"
Me: "Hayduke is as much GPS coordinates as it is a trail."
Him: "I'm good at map reading."
Me: Have you done the Appalachian Trail?"
Him: "No."
Me: How about the Colorado?"
Him: "No."
Me: How about the Pacific Crest Trail?
Him: "No."
Me: "What trails have you done?"
Him: "None. I hike sometimes."
Me: The Hayduke isn't a starter trail.
Him: "It is for me. My first trail."
Me: "800 plus miles, mostly off road, mostly GPS."
Him: "I should be done in November."
I go over the map with him and tell him we didn't get much rain or snow this year. The river is very low. No water drops for at least 30 miles and then it's a side trip to the Colorado River so you better filter up. He says he knows. I ask him if he has a trail name and he says he doesn't. He says people he meet are suppose to call him something.
Me: "Isn't there a song like that. Call me something. I think Christina Aguilera sings it."
Him: "You want to call me Christina?"
Me: "I was thinking Aguilera."
Linny: "Call Me Maybe."
Me: "Yea that's it."
Him: "You want to call me Maybe?"
Linny: Not Christina. Carly Rae Jepsen."
Him. "You want to call me Carly Rae? I guess it's better than Christina."
Me: "When I moved out here I only had white athletic socks. After the third or fourth washing they go permanently pink. I could have been Carly Rae then?
Him: He puts a tissue up one nostril and says "The dust. I'm having trouble breathing."
Me: "We'll call you Something In His Nose."
Him: He says "Ok."
With that done, a trail name, he waters up, picks up his pack and heads out on the Hayduke.
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