Saturday, March 16, 2013

Joy in the Journey -

Couple weeks ago, I get this email from my Dad. He is doing a little “prepping” for the backpack trip. Resurrecting the old Whisperlite stove from 25-ish years ago.

> Well finally got around to doing a test firing of the old whisperlite stove.  The fuel bottle holds gas, pump makes pressure, burner ignites, leaking stove creates puddle of gas on 4 wheeler, burner ignites puddle, tower of flame appears, luckily man in charge is wearing gloves, thinking clearly and quickly grabs stove and tosses it out of door, fuel on 4 wheeler burns out before starting said machine on fire, man in  charge with shaking hands and racing heart sits down and decides a new stove might be a good idea.  Have a good day.<

Michael Card had an album back in the day, a particular favorite of mine, called Joy in the Journey. The stove episode just made me think how fun it was to do the journey and to laugh all along the way.

Keeping in the laughs spirit, a chilly low (low 30’s - cold to Arizonans) was forecast several weekends ago.  Perfect for testing out the new sleeping bags in typical summer Silverton, CO temps. Ms. K wasn't interested, so Ms. M joined me in the backyard, in a tent. 



We get done eating popcorn, watching an episode of ST:Voyager and The Cosby Show, then head out. Sometime later that night, I hear her rustling around. She says she needs to go inside and use the bathroom. And she’s staying inside since there are too many noises out here to sleep (dog barking in the distance, coyote yipping, cars driving by...) I asked if she was warm, the answer came back “yes”.  Ok says me, see you in the morning.

In the morning, I go inside, wake the family and get breakfast going.  As I’m talking with my wife, she  tells me Ms M. said in response to her query of why she was inside...  “mom, dad was snoring!”

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Coffee.

That warm drink, enlivens the soul or as has been pontificated in literature:

I went out to the kitchen to make coffee ---- yards of coffee. Rich, strong, bitter, boiling hot, ruthless, depraved. The lifeblood of tired men."
Raymond Chandler, "The Long Goodbye"

Car camping enables a certain luxury, coffee grinders, French presses, beans, the stuff of coffee legend. Backpacking, requires a certain weight consciousness. One which I haven’t let intrude on the bike related activities of the past. But then, I have never had coffee “on the trail” while partaking of the two wheeled trailed activities. It has always happened pre- or post- bike riding.

A quality cup of coffee is an amazing thing. Of the places I have been, only a couple places in this country have the setting, the flavor, the people.  Crema in Portland, Cafe Dawn in Salida, Stone Cup in Lyons, and the one I compare all others to - Lux in Phoenix.  

That being said, in the backpacking scheme of things, weight carries a certain “weighted” average of importance. So, trying to find a good cup and a lightweight method of creating a good cup, has been a challenge. Instant coffee sure has a draw from a lightweight standpoint. But as always, good things take time (or weight).

Rating - Not Bad.




Rating - Not going in Pack.




Rating - the Standard: