Gear For A New Season

 Summer is officially here! Okay, not really officially. We still have a few weeks before that. And OKAY, you all have probably been in your summer for a month or more (I'm talking to you, 90+ Midwest). Now that I have sufficiently negated my introductory statement...Summer is unofficially here in Grand County, CO.

 Being a crazy planner-type, I dream up my travel and vacation plans seasons in advance. I hoard my vacation time in such a way that I can make the most of every possible minute off. Summers are slightly more difficult to plan than other seasons since it's M's busy season (meaning he gets 6 days off between Memorial Day and labor Day). This means a) I need/want to be home for those specific 6 days b) trips I take now must include my dog and c) there's a good chance that I will be flying solo on many adventures. BUT it also means that I will be alternating working a few Saturdays, which allows a few opportunities to smash together 3-day weekends! This is the season of work hard-play hard!

 In preparation for a new season of road trips, hiking, biking and schlepping of gear to various destinations and because I am an organizational loony toon, I have been on the hunt for a specific piece of gear. Gear to rule all gear. The piece of equipment that will wrangle and maintain the order of all odds and ends. Last week I found it, last night I received it. And here it is, the Mountainsmith 3 Cube Modular Hauler!

Okay, just kidding...that's not what it's designed to haul.

 The system consists of 4 pieces, the 15x25x15 hauler (outer bag) and 3 cubes that fit inside.

 The intention here is to be able to organize equipment in the color-coded cubes and easily lug in/out as needed.

I'm thinking of a few ways to use this.

1. Stuff for Bracco, Stuff for Me, Stuff for M (when he can join us)
2. Hiking Gear, Biking Gear, Stuff For Bracco (he's always going to need food/water etc)
3. Quick access clothing for a few nights

The great thing here is that depending on the adventure, I can designate the cubes to carry whatever I need them to. I can easily grab Bracco's bag and toss it into someone else's car for an impromptu hike or make sure that I always have my running gear accessible (no more excuses I guess). I purchased this for about $80 but if that's out of your price range, Mountainsmith makes a 2-cube version for about $60. There's free shipping if you order through backcountry.

 I have had many tricks in the past for organizing without this item and I know many of you will find it to be unnecessary. You could come up with similar systems using the Eagle Creek Pack It System (although, I doubt it would be cheaper) or using Rubbermaid containers for less. The bottom line is that not everyone will need this. I plan to attempt all of my packing for the (adventure leak) Telluride Bluegrass Festival next week and I'll let you know how it works out. My only concern at this point is the size of the thing. I drive a roller skate.

Whisperlite Cook Off

 It has been a tradition around these parts for a long time. During their staff training before going out in the world with youth to guide them through the wilderness, a group of trip leaders around here host a Whisperlite Cook Off. 5 teams of 2, using only their Whisperlite stoves and other on-trail tools, were challenged to create a culinary backcountry masterpiece. Lucky me...I was asked to judge. Here's a look at the process:

 So, final submissions included:

 Pasta with peppers, onion, salmon, mint and other spices...and cheese. This dish probably had the most interesting and complex flavors. It had a good balance of protein, carbs, veggies...and cheese. :)

 A build-your-own burrito. The group had a black bean/corn mix, seasoned tofu, lots of fresh vegetables, salsa, sour cream...and cheese. This dish probably won for most versatile in that it was very friendly to picky eaters, whether they be kids, vegetarians, lactose intolerant folk, etc. There are reasons that build-your-own works well.

 Clam paella with avocado and peppers. While I don't normally eat any meat, let alone clams, I liked the smoky flavor of this dish. The paella was a dish that made the most of only a few ingredients. One judge likes that he had the option of easily picking out the peppers. It also scored points for presentation.

Salmon Cakes with a Curried Rice. These cakes were made of salmon, hashbrowns and onion and cooked in butter. The curried rice was subtle and added balanced flavor. This was a highly creative and TASTY dish. The hashbrowns mellowed out the flavor of the fish and we felt it could be pretty versatile on trail, subbing salmon for tuna or even chicken.

I should mention our 5th team. They had a really great idea for stove top calzones. Unfortunately, the flour they used came salted and without realizing that, they added more salt. They were so salty that we were instructed not to even try them...a bust. What was great about this group  is that they quickly threw together some tortilla pizzas. They had to roll with the punches, just like we often have to do on trail. The tortilla pizzas were quite tasty...they just weren't ready to judge in time. Honorable mention to this team.

So, after considering the following:
* how realistic it was to bring ingredients on trail (fresh veggies and diary products are great BUT they don't travel well beyond a day or two. There's also the issue of having to pack in all of these ingredients so fewer is better)
* how easy it was to purchase ingredients
* versatility
* taste
* creativity
* can it be made quickly (if you're getting into camp late, no one wants to hang out for 2 hours, waiting on dinner)

We determined that the Salmon Cakes were the overall winner. You can find those vacuum sealed packets of tuna, salmon and chicken that are perfect for a dish like this. The hashbrowns worked really well. The rice was flavor-packed and balanced the dish. you could even add some dried fruit to the rice (really) and it would have been even better.

Runner up was the Paella but overall, it was the clams that turned some judges off. While you could, of course, use other items here, I think it was hard for some to get beyond the clams.

Third place went to the build-your-own burritos although I maintain that they would have looked very different without all of the dairy and fresh veggies. I did appreciate the tofu they added here...as I'm normally vegetarian. It's important to remember that when dealing with us veggie-folk, we need a PROTEIN source in our meals. Vegetarians cannot survive on roughage alone! This is especially true on trail (exception would be at high altitude, when no one needs much protein because your body can't digest it at heights).

 All in all, I was VERY impressed with the creations these teams came up with. They definitely challenged me to think outside the box when it comes to campsite cooking. I would encourage those of you heading outside to try a stove cook off with your fellow adventurers. It's a great way to kick you out of your dining routine and it's always a good idea to get reacquainted with your gear before you head out. Let me know what you create!

Sometimes You Just Need Your Peeps

Last Thursday would have been my dad's 59th birthday. Having just lost him in January, I would admit to my wounds being very fresh. I still tear up a lot...father/daughter dances, forget it! I am now among the crazy Hallmark commercial criers. Ugh.

Having struggled to sleep on Wednesday night, thinking about dad and considering how much I hate the "business" of losing someone I just want to love, I started dad's birthday with a horrible exhaustion headache, puffy eyes and a general lack of energy. I took the day off. I thought I'd spend my day doing something to remember dad but I really just felt so crappy that I couldn't do much more than watch Goonies.

 By about 3pm I was fed up with my sulking. I wanted to be with my friends and family to remember dad...not 600 miles from those who knew him best. 1 call to my boss, a call home and a resold concert ticket later and Bracco and I were GOING HOME!

 I absolutely love long road trips and don't even mind taking them alone. I like singing at the top of my lungs and listening to uninterrupted NPR podcasts. This time of year, I really love driving into western Nebraska and seeing all of the deep spring green (a welcome treat after 3 hours of eastern CO...one of the least aesthetically pleasing places on earth).

 My random, spontaneous trip to Omaha allowed me some time to dream up adventures with the chicks, hit the 1st birthday party of my favorite kiddo, see Bridesmaids (yes!) and hang out with my family. Bracco got to run around a sweltering (yeah, we're wusses) backyard with his little dog cousins, Leroy and Gretchen, chasing squirrels!

Bracco with his cousins

Leg wrestling with my brother...just like the old days!

Hanging with the Chicks

Flooded parks

Loving those deciduous trees

The cutest birthday girl ever!

 While I'm exhausted from a weekend away and a long 20 hours in the car round-trip, hanging with my friends and family was a perfect way to celebrate dad's life, rather than wallow in his absence. Sometimes, you just need your peeps!