Trip to Cottonwood Pass
Saturday Breakfast: On our trip up, I had an Egg McMuffin Meal w/ OJ.
Saturday Lunch: Since we were running a bit late, we decided to eat lunch before going up the mountains. Carl’s Jr. was pretty close so we stopped there. Problem: it was crowded with tourists. So, we took the drive thru and got our food instantly only to go back into the restaurant and eat inside. I had the Western Bacon Cheeseburger Meal. It was typical Carl’s stuff.
Saturday Dinner:
Mountain House Pro-Pak (Beef Stroganoff w/ Noodles): First off, I’ve only had Mountain House branded meals. My first meals were from this brand, which I enjoyed, but I’m currently too scared to try anything else. (I also somehow forgot to bring my all-time fave, the Rice & Chicken Meal. It’s so good, I could eat it at home. I’ll review it the next time I use it.) After boiling the water (which took longer due to the extremely high altitude), I poured the water in the ready-to-eat pouch, and waited. Most of these meals are typically pretty salty, but surprisingly, this one was on the blander side. It may be because I added a little more water than necessary, but usually when I do that, it’s not ever this bland. (tip: it’s a good idea to add more water than is required since these foods can dehydrate you so quickly). The pieces of beef were little dices, but unfortunately were on the crispier, not-completely-boiled, side. I probably should have stirred it a bit more before letting it stand to “cook.” (You’re supposed to let stand for 8-9 min.) This is also evidenced by the fact that, as I was about to finish off the meal, I came across this clump of something that was mushy and salty. Perhaps this was the stuff that would have made the food more tasty if it had been mixed around better. In any case, it was gross to eat. The flat twisty pasta noodles were fine and short, which made them easy to scoop up with my spoon without worrying about whether they’ll fall off. Rating: 3/5
Sunday Breakfast:
Instant Bowl Noodle Soup (Picante): I eat this stuff all the time (in fact, during the 2 weeks before the trip, I must have eaten it about 6 times), so it’s always good to know that you have one meal up in the middle of nowhere that will be good. No surprises. That’s what I like, so I couldn’t wait to eat this for breakfast. This was especially true since I went to sleep with a massive headache and woke up with an even more massive headache (dehydration and high altitude do not a good combination make). Boiled the water, and in a few minutes I was slurping up the noodles. Aside from the taste, I like how you only have to wait about 2-3 minutes instead of 8-9 like you do for Mountain House meals. The disadvantage is that it’s in a styrofoam bowl which can affect packing your bag. It’s weak and so you need to be careful not to break it while trekking along the trail. Rating: 5/5
Snack foods: I only managed to eat 2 full meals up in the mountains, but of course, I had a lot of snacks along the way. Here’s what I took with me:
PowerBar (Apple Cinnamon Crisp): My first time trying this one. After unwrapping the thing, I took my first few bites. I’m always hesitant with energy/nutrition bars, since they always have this weird taste or grainy texture. So, though my initial reaction to the taste was good, I kept waiting for the nastiness. The thing is, it never came. The bar was crispy, crunchy and sweet. Each chomp was accompanied with a snap, crackle, pop that heightened the snacking experience. Very good. Rating: 5/5
Pacific Gold Beef Jerky (Original Flavor): I can’t think of a trip where I haven’t brought this along. It’s just vital to have. Packed with protein and flavor. Ok, I don’t care about the protein, but it is good to have. Warms you up a little bit while on the run and it’s something good to eat before you sleep to keep you warm (or at least warmer than you would be had you not eaten it). The only negative side to the jerky is its packaging: it’s too bulky. Although it can fit into pockets, it’s a bit cumbersome. I think next time I’ll have to put them in my own ziplock bags. Rating: 5/5
Gatorade (Orange Flavor): The reason I try to bring a bottle of this is because I just don’t want to be drinking tasteless water all the time. Plus, because it’s sweeter, you’re tempted to drink a bit more, which is good hydration-wise. The bottle I brought was a bit too big, but once you’re finished, it can also serve as a water receptacle from rivers/lakes to filter out of. Rating: 5/5
Luna Bar (Smores Flavor): I bought this because it said “Smores” on it. Not until I was about to open it did I realize that it was specially designed for women (hence, the folic acid and calcium). Regardless, I ate it anyway. It was a bit melted and warped from the heat, but it was just ok. It had a bit of the graininess and though I finished it, I didn’t enjoy it too much. However, my menstrual cramps and osteoporosis were virtually eliminated on the spot. Rating: 3/5
CamelBak Elixir Electrolyte Tablets: Like I said about the Gatorade, sometimes you just get sick of plain ol’ water (especially since you’re guzzling several gallons). Well, I decided to get these flavored water tablets for my Nalgene Reservoir. Of course, I tested it out while I was at home just to make sure I didn’t drink down nasty stuff. Basically, you pop in a few of these alkaseltzer-type tablets and they bubble and dissolve away. When I was testing it out, it didn’t taste too good. I decided, though, that I’ll bring it just in case. Well, on my trek down the mountain, I was about sick of water. So, I popped in 4 tablets (for 3L) in my reservoir. Because I had filtered the water out of the lake, it was nice and cold. This, I believe, was the difference because at home, I drank it somewhat lukewarm. Anyway, it tasted alright and it was carbonated which is something unique up in the mountains. It didn’t taste entirely like lemon-lime Gatorade, and maybe I should have popped in another tablet too make it even sweeter. Using this was very easy. It’s in a nice tubular case and you just throw it in the reservoir and that’s it. No mixing required. A feature that convinced me to buy it is that it’s specially designed for these reservoirs, so it doesn’t have any sugar in it. This makes cleaning very easy. In any case, it was not a bad purchase, but not a necessary one, either. Rating: 4/5