Saffron's Bottle

When we decided to head back to camp Saturday night, I couldn't find one of my waterbottles. Right next to where we left it, though, was another Nalgene bottle. Instead of grayish green, it was yellowish green. This difference would be understandable, since it was nighttime.

However, this bottle also had a bright green cap (mine was black), a carabiner attached (mine had none), and the word "Saffron" painted down the side (mine, of course, did not).

We took it back to camp with us.

We figured that perhaps one of the Ukrainian girls was named Saffron. Our opinion of them wasn't too high after our brief encounter.

Also suspected were a pair of women that we never saw, but heard. They arrived after dark, when Chunlin and I were in the back of the cave. They left before we emerged.

The next morning, I took Saffron's bottle up to the springs. A half hour later, two women arrived, presumable the same two. As I entered the shelter, I saw my waterbottle sitting beside the yellowish one.

Still, I asked, "Is this your waterbottle?"

It was . . . sort of.

As it so happens, Saffron was a trail nickname of one of their friends. Which explains, to some degree, why they couldn't recognize it in the dark.

So I got my bottle back. All is well in the world.