New York. From left, Joe, Ray and Karin
Looks like there won't be a hike tonite. I'm kind of bummed, I was really looking forward to it and planned my weekend around it. It's raining with no end in sight and thunderstorms are forecast into the evening. Now I have not just a whole day but an entire evening completely free.
I was wondering what it would be like to hike eight or so miles with no food stop. Not that hunger would be an issue since the hike was scheduled to start at 7:30, allowing ample time for dinner before hitting the trail. It's just to me, eating is such an integral and fun part of the hiking experience.
Though our Camino training hikes got tougher after the first of the year there was a bonus. Trail side cuisine began to get really tricked out about the same time. No more trail mix and a hastily tossed together sandwich for this group!
Ray and Joe got camp stoves for or around Christmas. So now, we had hot food and drink on the menu! The guys started bringing packaged camp meals, just add hot water, wait a few minutes and instant feast! Though ravenous, the wait was worth it because the warm package made a great hot water bottle that was passed around to help take away the chill that hit once we stopped moving!
Ray, our group foodie, really kicked up the cuisine. Using the camp meal as a base, he would toss in things like shrimp to further enhance the eating experience. Though a sandwich remained the centerpiece of my lunch, I have to confess. I love Ramon Noodles. What a treat to have a nice hot bowl of noodles on a cold winter day.
Beside the main course, there were all kinds of munchies. Fruits and veggies. Cakes and cookies. All kinds of soup, even wursts!
Camino however, forever spoiled me. There, lunch was fresh bread, chorizo, some hard cheese, nuts, maybe some fresh fruit, all bought the night before at the Supermercado and eaten with much gusto on the way.
Most times when I hike, I bring a simple lunch, a thermos of soup, a nice sandwich and some sort of snack. But once in a while, I get in the mood for some "fine dining." A few weeks ago, I packed up some cooked shrimp, a few crisp bread, a wedge of cheese and some grapes. As I was setting out my lunch, one guy said, “Wow, you’re eating gourmet today!” This while his entire lunch consisted of one apple. I thought, you don't know what you're missing!
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