Vadouvan Curry, Fancy Hot Chocolate and Sespe Hot Springs

When you see the wide green meadow with 3 little bushes, you're almost there. You turn left after the next ridge on an offshoot trail that leads ~1 mile to the spring.

God, I almost don't want to write about Sespe Hot Springs. I almost just want to tell you to hike the 9 easy miles to Willett Hot Springs, where everyone else goes, and leave it at that.

Tart Berry Smoothies, or Liquid Joy

How good would a tart, juicy, berry-rich smoothie sound when you're 6 days in?

Flavor: 9/10 (seed bits)

Ease at home: 8/10 (powdering all the berries is a little tedious)

Ease at camp: 10/10
Heat level: 0/10

Times made: 1

I'll admit, this is not my idea. I was inspired by the Packit Gourmet's extraordinarily disappointing Jump-Start Smoothies and the sincere belief that I could do better.

Food Reviews, Desolation Wilderness trip: Copper Canyon Mudslide from Packit Gourmet

Horchata 'n' Vodka

So when I think mudslide, I think of a creamy, kahlua-flavored, chocolatey, boozey, milkshake concoction, the kind of drink a 10 year old would come up with.

As such, it was with the slightest disappointment and some curiosity that I opened the packet for Copper Canyon Mudslides and smelled cinnamon and rice. This is no mudslide, it's horchata. Organic horchata actually, which is pretty cool, kudos to Packit Gourmet for making this one organic.

Food Reviews, Desolation Wilderness trip: Jump-Start Smoothies from Packit Gourmet

It's a pain in the ass to get vegetarian protein on the trail without making some serious concessions on *ahem* abdominal comfort. I'm pretty sensitive to beans/TVP, and if I end up bloated, I'll sleep poorly and be generally uncomfortable and grumpy the entire week. I do whatever I can to minimize that by planning my meals accordingly and keeping the legumes to a minimum. A huge bummer, because if I had my way I'd eat legumes at every meal.

Food Reviews, Desolation Wilderness trip: Happy Hour Snack Pack from Packit Gourmet

Last Tuesday, Dennis and I were babbling on Facebook when I realized we were coming up on a 3 day weekend without plans. While the Diablo patch just hit and I was looking forward to playing games, neither Dennis nor I liked the idea of fermenting all weekend on the computer. There would be plenty of time to play games during the week, but only one 3 day weekend before Fall weather hit.