Culinary adventures on the trail

Eating in style on the trail is difficult... but possible! Since we had to carry everything we wanted to use on the trail in our packs, the most meals were freeze dried and required adding boiling water. But let me tell you, any warm meal on a cool beach after a long day of hiking is welcome in my belly! The brands we used were Alpine Air and Mary Jane's Farm, which were ordered from this website by my father in law who always thinks of everything!

Hey, guys, leave some of that Chinese-egg-drop-soup-minus-the-egg for us, too!
Jeffrey cooking up cobbler for dessert. It certainly hit the spot!
It actually looks so good!
Aaron volunteered to wash the dishes.

The West Coast Trail

How did I get talked into that one? As a runner, I thought perhaps I would be in shape enough to tackle one of the toughest trails in North America, but let me tell you it was no cake walk to crawl through 75km, or 47mi! Let me introduce you to the wonderful (and painful) views of the trail along the so-called Graveyard of the Pacific...

Resting just hours before the hike at our lodge.
Our first campsite with a private cave and a waterfall!
View from our tent in the morning.
Views when hiking.
Getting down on a ladder straight onto a suspension bridge!
Beautiful sunset at another campsite, Tsusiat Falls.
Foggy morning.
Slowly but surely!
Climbing the ladders first thing in the morning, gotta love an energetic morning!Aaron getting across the river in a cable car. My turn next!

That's a big pack!
Along the trail.
Nice sunset again. Perk of camping on the beach every night!
Algae. Done! Camping last night and taking a boat across the river first thing in the morning!

Tomato tomahto

Next to an Italian wedding soup, tomato soup is my super favorite. Sweet, savory, appropriate for all seasons. And when you grow your own tomato plants you may know how much fruit you end up with! It's either a delicious insalata caprese (which I, incorrectly, make on a bed of lettuce), or...
Tyler Florence's Roasted Tomato Soup available here. Now, I have made some changes to the recipe that I thought would fit my taste buds better. When roasting the tomatoes, I certainly did not use the 1/2 c olive oil, not even close to it. Just a couple of tablespoons were enough! Roasting of the tomatoes and garlic certainly added a deep flavor. I also added some pasta for texture and basil for taste AND looks!