Food FOOOD food, parte deux

Hmmk. From Lac-Beaulieu, we continue…

Day 7: HUZZAH oats with copious amounts of dry milk, raisins, dates, and almonds. Also, handfuls of Fruit Loops! Left camp around 10am, per usual.

mid-day snickers bar, also finished bag of Tostitos because I was sad and wet. All raining, alllll day. Trail is mud pit. No dry places to step, only deep muds. Rain everywhere, too much mist on face and glasses

I hate it. I hate it on glasses, fog and gray

cannot see. wet rocks. fell down a lot. Fell forward after wet root and now have hurt my face. Got caught on a root, almost pitched face-first down the hill with a two-foot drop in front of me, even though I was going carefully. My sandals, they have been made smooth by miles of paved roads. Feels like southern Maine, except the trail is more wild. Scared huge moose whahahaha… but man… those waterfalls.

What a beautiful trail.

Got to Petit-Sault around 5:30pm. Changed into dry clothes. Raided the wee box of free surplus food, which other hikers had left behind (this is a food drop site).Gained jerky and more oatmeal, because who am I to turn down extra food?

Sat and stared at nothing. Went and gathered wood; sat and stared at river….

This is lake.

Dinner: Nature Valley granola bar (trail mix flavor). Handfuls of Fruit Loops. Finally pulled myself together to make a campfire after walking by the river for old dead wood (oh it was beautiful) and watching shredded clouds drift overhead. this is my life. wow wow wow. Made Knorr pasta sides (creamy garlic shells) with 1/4 block of cheese and two scavenged jerky sticks cut into it.

OH. predinner of scavenged oatmeal, mixed with raisins, dates, and loads of powdered milk.

Distance: 15 km (12 miles).

Day 8: Breakfast of 2 strawberry poptarts, 2 Nutrigrain bars.

Slow rise along a river, past a couple waterfalls, towards Ruisseau-Bascon, my scheduled stop. Weather has cleared, and is perfect. I eat some more nutrigrain bar, a cheese stick with jerky, make my last Thai noodles (Bankok curry) and eat them at the waterfall, then decide to bypass the shelter and head into Gaspesie National Park.

yeahhhhhboiii mountinnnns awww yisss

YISSS

Dinner was at Refuge Chouette. I pulled out my food, and turned around, and a couple of folks were offering me their extra food. “BUT I WAnt my PACK to be less heavy-” Self, they are literally holding homemade beef stew in their hands, with couscous, and offering it to you. Never ever ever turn down hot nice homemade food being offered.

Also ate some sheep cheese, then my own 1/3 block of old cheddar, and two sticks of jerky.

At this stage, I know I have more than enough food to stuff my face, and finish out this section still carrying dinners.

Distance: 19.4 km (~12 mi)

Day 9: Got up and watched sunrise while I made breakfast, everyone still asleep in the refuge. Rainforest chai tea, oatmeal with milk, raisins, dates, etc. Poured the last of the Nova Scotians’ maple syrup in copious amounts, into tea and oatmeal.

Midday- finished up the half bag of fruit loops; 2 nutrigrain bars; read book in the refuge I stopped at, ate another few spoons of peanut butter. Talked with other hikers; loved sunshine.

Dinner- cheddar broccoli rice, with remaining quarter block of marble cheese, and more thick slices of aged cheddar. I had brought three cheese blocks. Add dry milk, and extra rehydrated veggies. Mint tea.

Walked right behind two mooses on my way into camp this evening. One of them (the mom?) was in the path, and watched me, chewing slowly, for about ten minutes before deciding to move.

Distance: ~26 km (16ish miles)

Day 10: Breakfast is two oatmeal packets, raisin/date/nut mix, and milk.

Midday- cheddar cheese block with jerky.

Got into Lac-Cascapedia. Weather was clear and breezy, with sunlight gleaming off the rocks. I was tired, but around friend :). Hi Jeanne.

Dinner: thought I made too much. Knorr pasta (spinach cheese dip) with remainder of cheese block, 1 jerky stick, dried veggies (rehydrated, as always), and tremendous amount of couscous (12 oz in my Nalgene). Dessert was choco bites, aka. pizza dough (just add water) wrapped in a thin layer around a piece of a caramel chocolate bar, then baked on a log in the fire.

Distance: 15 km (9 miles)

Not Lac-Cascapedia. A tree in Matane Wilderness.

Day 11: Ate the same breakfast as yesterday, except with celebratory coffee (a cherished treasure, from the Nova Scotians, who are named Becky, Melanie, and John).

Woke up wanting to climb over Mont Albert. Packed on top of my bag for later: maple nuts from Jeanne, the rest of my peanut butter jar, and two cheesy jerky vegetable rolls I made last night, along with the chocolate bread. Walked out to gravel road…

…And you know. Got picked up.

Have good evenings. Eat good food for me. I’ll tell you about now eventually :).

P.S. I have this recurring dream that someday

someday

I can have coffee every morning. Every morning.

P.P.S. Also to be totally honest, this is the only section I have been eating ole Knorr Pasta Sides for my dinners (plus cheese!!). Note they are cheap, light, and each packet is made to be a side dish for four, which makes them a good backpacking portion… But I don’t much enjoy the dried pasta game.

Usually, I’ll carry bread. and good cheese and some kind of protein, and maybe tomatoes. Dried veggies if I can get ’em. Eggs. Someday maybe I can dream of getting one of those huge lots of mountain house freeze dried scrambled eggs, with sausages and peppers and onions and hash browns, mmmmm. Bring tortillas…

Oh golly it’s incredible just thinking of it.

oh golly.

My favorite trail food is still making pizza from just-add-water dough mix, mozzarella, sauce, and pepperoni. Incredible, even though it’s high maintenance. Definitely worth the effort.

Write me your trail food ideas below?