I live, breathe, dream, and eat food. Most of the time, I go into the backcountry just to eat delicious food. Most of the time, my backpacking trips are no longer than 3 or 4 days, so I can weigh my pack down with cheese, chocolate and wine. While the majority of my backpacking trips usually involve luxurious happy hours, I was not afforded that opulence on the 195-mile Sierra High Route. Here’s what I came up with to ensure my Sierra High Route resupply food was delicious and nutritious.
The truth is, I secretly love rainy day weekends. It gives me an excuse to slow down, be lazy, and catch up on things around the house. I was preparing to tuck myself away for the weekend when my friend, Liz from Nipomo, reached out about a getaway to the Stepladder Ranch.
As an avid pop country music fan, farms and ranches are absolutely my thing. Growing up, I also raised pigs in the 4-H program. I was instantly sold on heading down to Cambria on California’s Central Coast to experience the magic.
Every summer Alpenglow Sports hosts an annual, free Mountain Festival, filled with adventure and fun for people of all ages and skill levels. When I saw backpacking and backcountry gourmet on the menu, I was sold. If there’s anything I love almost as much as being outside, it’s food. And cats, but that’s a different story.
Alpenglow Sports partnered with Michelle from Adventure Dining Guide to lead a women’s trip out into the wilderness. The destination was originally Desolation Wilderness, but with the ridiculous snow year, plans changed to Watson Lake. It was a little closer and suited for women of all skill levels. Coming straight from sea level, I was a little grateful for the venue change and for being spared many miles of huffing at the back of the group like a fool.
Camp food is, unfortunately, not high on my list of things to do well. It’s a little weird because I love eating and I love good food. My go-to dishes are usually pasta, stir fries, or if it’s been a long day, salami and cream cheese. Lately, I’ve been exploring different ideas for camping food, because why should I eat the same ol’ things when I’m out in the wilderness? I started racking my brain for some of my favorite home-cooked dishes that I could modify for camping. Spring rolls were the first thing to come mind.
Country Archer reached out to me earlier this year with some snacks to fuel my adventures. Obviously, I’m never one to turn down food because lemme tell ya, I get real hangry. They seemed like a good alternative to Epic or Tanka bars which I find to be a wee bit pricy, especially when I buy them from the climbing gym.