White powders: reconstituting and taste testing powdered dairy products

I got a bunch of awesome stuff to play with recently! Some such items are pictured.

As a matter of personal preference, I try to use homemade, organic, ethically produced products and ingredients whenever possible. Dennis and I are preparing to do the JMT next September and fresh ingredients (fresh cheeses, butter, etc.) will be inaccessible for a good chunk of that time. Because I rely so heavily on a daily supplement of fresh cheese for calories and nutrition, I'm experimenting now with shelf-stable, processed ingredients to supplement our diet for the 3 weeks we'll be on the trail. The good thing about powdered dairy products is that they have a very high calorie:weight ratio, they are convenient, provide diverse flavor and texture, and are affordable. Most people are already familiar with powdered milk, but a variety of other dairy products are also available: heavy cream, sour cream, sweet cream buttermilk, cream cheese, butter, and cheese, among others.

First up: Heavy Cream Powder.

More experiments in Tofu Scramble, Hash Browns & Cashew Nacho Sauce

Scramble and veggie mixture in bag

This is my second time experimenting with my tofu scramble recipe, found here. This time, I did not
use any sausage/tempeh and I decided to make hash browns instead of potato cubes. It's a matter of taste, but I preferred this version.

I also experimented with non-dairy cashew cream sauce. No recipe for that yet, but definitely soon, because it's a wonderfully creamy, high-fat condiment that vegans and carnivores can both enjoy. The rehydration process worked perfectly and although in photos the sauce appears to have some texture to it, you can't detect anything but smooth, creamy cashew goodness. Lots of stuff to look forward to in future posts :)

Golden Trout Wilderness Flatiron Loop and thoughts on the GTW

Dennis and I just returned from what might be our last Sierra trip of the season, and easily one of the best. The Flatiron Loop of the Golden Trout Wilderness completely blew me away, humbled me, lent me the perspective to appreciate unassuming views.

I think every person is especially receptive to certain scenery. Flowing rivers evoke a sort of visceral, deep, emotional reaction in Dennis. Grandiose, prominent, craggy mountains literally sap me of my breath and cause my heartbeat to rise. The right view gives me a rising, fleeting, racing feeling in my stomach like the onset of a hallucinogen. The right view can easily bring me to tears.

It's easy sometimes to misinterpret these feelings and categorize some scenery as "better" or "worse" based on the reactions they evoke- to not see the value in certain locations over others. The last time I visited Golden Trout Wilderness, I tossed the baby with the bathwater and subconsciously labeled the whole of GTW as unimpressive because of its isolated moonscapes, dry meadows, dark lakes, sparse treecover, and unrepentantly dusty trails. This was stupid and ignorant to do. There is an incredible range of unconventional beauty in GTW.

GTW's beauty is not, necessarily, in its broad sweeping views, not in its mountains. Unlike Yosemite, Sequoia or Inyo, you won't see the magic of GTW through a bird's eye view. What GTW has to offer can only be found on foot, up close, when you are wandering and lost within it.

To give an example, check out the interesting rock formation on this crestline. From afar, it looks cool- it's like a rough-hewn devil's postpile geometric formation. But it's not astoundingly beautiful.

Up close is another story. A most impressive trail ascends gently up the side of the mountain for a grand finale beside the rock formations. Up close, they are like nothing you've seen before. A sky-high stack of irregular red pancakes splattered in abstract splashes of neon moss.

 This is the essential nature and beauty of the Golden Trout. Don't get me wrong, there are some sweeping, dramatic, classic views of weaving rivers, and you'll see some in my Good To Go Chili Review, but I think the most brilliant gems are found on foot and easily missed.

As you ascend gently on this manzanita flat, its trees long lost in a recent fire, the Eastern range on the other side of the Kern River comes into view: grey, massive, imposing, lifting up as you walk forward.

Soda Spring flows generously as of Oct 2015 in the flatiron segment of the loop, leaving a humorously conspicuous, bright green stripe in the surrounding meadow.

Wild watercress is abundant at Soda Springs and along the Kern/Little Kern, if you know where to look.

Bright red sequoias offer stark contrast to the pastel green-grey meadows below them. This 6 mile flat section of trail is incredibly peaceful.

Water can be found at Trout Meadow if you know where to look! At the southern tip of the meadow, there is a wooden pathway that crosses the meadow. Along this pathway, there is a flowing creek. This field is clearly visited by pack and cattle with regularity, so treat the water thoroughly.

There is another active spring running in the Eastern wing of the meadow. If you follow the wooden path, and continue along the trail which runs perpendicular to the main body of the meadow, you'll see signs of water to your left after a few minutes. Once you have left the meadow and entered the forest, you have gone too far. 

Good spring flow and water availability at upper Willow Meadow, 1.6 easy miles north of Trout Meadow.

Upcoming trips, plans, and prep

Its been a boring Summer so far. Dennis got a new job and has been too exhausted on weekends to leave town, and I was in the middle of the move when backpacking season began. There are plenty of awesome backpacking spots here in Southern California so I could go solo, but weekends are really the only time I have with Dennis, and he'd be trapped at home without the car. Huge bummer.

So without any backpacking to actually do, I've been spending some of my free time preparing meals for our upcoming trips in August and September. For our long trip, I'm doing all homemade food. My intention is to experiment with more vegan dishes, and because our mileage will be on the low side (in the company of a friend who is new to backpacking), we'll be having more full breakfasts.