Posted by Tom
Jenna mentioned earlier about Bob's Red Mill being a good gluten-free source. If you haven't heard, another good reason to buy Bob's Red Mill is that he is giving the company to his employees. Bob is older than dirt and is planning on retiring, and instead of selling it to some aweful company, is giving it away to the workers. So another good reason to buy Bob's Red Mill! Also, if you click on the link, he just looks like a sweet grandpa type.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
the best cookie ever.
Post by Jenna.
Betsy Wheeler introduced me to these cookies, and passed the recipe along to me.They are actually called Flourless Quick Peanut Butter Cookies, and are originally from Louie's Simple and Easy Cooking, by Louisiana Special Education Center, in Alexandria, LA. And they really are easy (with only 5 ingredients). Don't let the lack of flour turn you off- they are delicious for everyone (not just the gluten intolerant). Sadly, however, they are not vegan. But they pack very well for snacks and lunches on the trail.
Betsy Wheeler introduced me to these cookies, and passed the recipe along to me.They are actually called Flourless Quick Peanut Butter Cookies, and are originally from Louie's Simple and Easy Cooking, by Louisiana Special Education Center, in Alexandria, LA. And they really are easy (with only 5 ingredients). Don't let the lack of flour turn you off- they are delicious for everyone (not just the gluten intolerant). Sadly, however, they are not vegan. But they pack very well for snacks and lunches on the trail.
- 1 cup peanut butter (chunky or creamy)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 ounces)
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In medium bowl, beat together the peanut butter, brown sugar, egg, and baking soda until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Stir in chips until evenly distributed.
- Drop the dough by slightly rounded teaspoons onto an ungreased baking sheet, spacing the mounds about 2 inches apart.
- Bake one baking sheet at a time in the 350 degree oven until the cookies are puffed and slightly brown, but still soft to the touch (about 10 minutes). Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
gluten free foods I love:
Post by Jenna.
As Celiac's Disease becomes a more common affliction in America, gluten free companies are popping up all over the place. I live in a fairly rural area, yet all of my local grocery stores have specific gluten free sections with so many choices it is dizzying. I usually just eat non-gluten items and dont worry about substituting (or I bake my own), but every once in a while it's a great treat to get a loaf of gluten free bread, or some special crackers or cookies, and just feel like a normal person. So I figure I should compile a list of my favorite gluten free foods on the market today. And how is this related to hiking, you may ask? Well, I like to eat a lot while hiking...and I dont have the luxury of an oven on the trail. : )
As Celiac's Disease becomes a more common affliction in America, gluten free companies are popping up all over the place. I live in a fairly rural area, yet all of my local grocery stores have specific gluten free sections with so many choices it is dizzying. I usually just eat non-gluten items and dont worry about substituting (or I bake my own), but every once in a while it's a great treat to get a loaf of gluten free bread, or some special crackers or cookies, and just feel like a normal person. So I figure I should compile a list of my favorite gluten free foods on the market today. And how is this related to hiking, you may ask? Well, I like to eat a lot while hiking...and I dont have the luxury of an oven on the trail. : )
- Ener-G Tapioca Bread
- Mary's Gone Crackers
- Barbara's Bakery- Puffins Cereal
- Glutino Pretzels
- Primal Strips Tofu Jerky
- Enjoy Life Granola
- Quinoa
- Amaranth grain
- Corn Pasta
- Rice Noodles
- Lentils
- Gluten Free Oats
- I also love to cook Indian food, and bake lots of cookies (the worlds most delicious peanut butter cookie recipe will be posted soon).
- Granola (with gf oats)
- And good ol' fresh fruits and veggies
Sunday, February 21, 2010
saving up for a backpack.
Post by Jenna.
I have been teaching skiing 6 days a week since I returned to Massachusetts, and I have been dutifully saving my tips. This past week was President's Week (and February vacation at many schools)- also known as the busiest ski week of the season. By mid-week I had finally saved the $170 needed to buy a new backpack: the Women's REI Flash 65. If this backpack sounds familar, that may be because Tom recently purchased the men's version. We aren't trying to match on the trail, it is just that this pack has gotten fantastic reviews, is very light, has everything we need (and nothing we dont) and is affordable. I'm sold. And all of the busting my butt has finally paid off (quite literally). Click here to read more about the pack, or to see some reviews.
I have been teaching skiing 6 days a week since I returned to Massachusetts, and I have been dutifully saving my tips. This past week was President's Week (and February vacation at many schools)- also known as the busiest ski week of the season. By mid-week I had finally saved the $170 needed to buy a new backpack: the Women's REI Flash 65. If this backpack sounds familar, that may be because Tom recently purchased the men's version. We aren't trying to match on the trail, it is just that this pack has gotten fantastic reviews, is very light, has everything we need (and nothing we dont) and is affordable. I'm sold. And all of the busting my butt has finally paid off (quite literally). Click here to read more about the pack, or to see some reviews.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
a great article
Posted by: Jenna.
The other day I was reading a Backpacker magazine at the gym and I found a great article about what a 2000+ mile hike will do to your body. Here are the highlights (or click here to read the full article, and find training tips):
The other day I was reading a Backpacker magazine at the gym and I found a great article about what a 2000+ mile hike will do to your body. Here are the highlights (or click here to read the full article, and find training tips):
- The average thru-hiker's quads expand more than 10 percent, and thigh circumference increases by almost two inches.
- Calf muscles grow an average of 3.5 percent, gaining a half-inch in circumference.
- VO2, the measure of the body's ability to fuel muscles with oxygen, increases a whopping 18.3 percent over the course of a long hike.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Screw Shoes
Posted by Tom
When Jenna and I start the trail there is likely to be considerable snow (enough though this is a low snow year, at least in Washington). This poses two significant challenges: 1) Navigation (the trail will be covered in snow; 2) Traction. I will focus on the later today.
Jenna recently recieved a pair of MICROspikes, which essentially are a minaturized version of crampons. I would love a pair of these, but they are soooooo expensive ($60), so I am looking for alterantives.
The solution? Drilling screws into my shoes. I just signed up for a PCT email list and this link has been passed around a lot. Small sheet metal screws can be drilled into a boot with a thick enough heal (if you have a mid to heavy weight boot, this should not be a problem). A real cheap solution, although I doubt it will have the same grip as the MICROspikes.
When Jenna and I start the trail there is likely to be considerable snow (enough though this is a low snow year, at least in Washington). This poses two significant challenges: 1) Navigation (the trail will be covered in snow; 2) Traction. I will focus on the later today.
Jenna recently recieved a pair of MICROspikes, which essentially are a minaturized version of crampons. I would love a pair of these, but they are soooooo expensive ($60), so I am looking for alterantives.
The solution? Drilling screws into my shoes. I just signed up for a PCT email list and this link has been passed around a lot. Small sheet metal screws can be drilled into a boot with a thick enough heal (if you have a mid to heavy weight boot, this should not be a problem). A real cheap solution, although I doubt it will have the same grip as the MICROspikes.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Bi-costal blogging
Post by Jenna
So I am back on the east coast, in Massachusetts, working at Catamount Ski Area 6 days a week. Its nice to have some sort of schedule after a long vacation, but I am pretty much busy from 7am-7pm with teaching skiing, going to the gym, and then woofing down dinner. In the evenings I am so tired all I can do is sit, until I end up falling asleep around 9:00. But its good because I am making some money and getting in shape for my hike- I just keep telling myself that I am toughening up so 20 miles a day wont feel quite so rough.
But we have been getting some snow and the skiing has been fantastic. Between my runs and lessons I have been making to-do lists of things we need to get done before we set out on the trail, because the time just keeps drawing closer. The other day I went shopping at EMS for snow traction devices and a bear canister. I had been trying to decide between micro-spikes or yak-trax, and after reading online reviews and talking to some salesmen, I decided micro-spikes were what I needed. They have more traction, and are really designed to go hiking in and fit over bigger boots. I was also trying to decide between two different bear canisters: the bear vault, and the Garcia Bear-resistent container. I ended up getting the Garcia because it is lighter and cheaper, and they both had gotten equally good reviews. Tom has the bear vault, so we can compare and contrast. I think we will be bringing them the full distance, so we wont have to bear bag. They also make great stools (and drums).
I think I freaked my parents out a bit by bringing home an ice axe. I dont think they realized we were going to be in the snow, so I eased their nerves by showing them photos of the trail and the amount of snow. But thats when my mom decided to get me the micro spikes for my birthday (so I would have her to thank when I dont fall off the mountain). I am really excited to bring my micro-spikes and ice axe to the mountain to try them out.
So I am back on the east coast, in Massachusetts, working at Catamount Ski Area 6 days a week. Its nice to have some sort of schedule after a long vacation, but I am pretty much busy from 7am-7pm with teaching skiing, going to the gym, and then woofing down dinner. In the evenings I am so tired all I can do is sit, until I end up falling asleep around 9:00. But its good because I am making some money and getting in shape for my hike- I just keep telling myself that I am toughening up so 20 miles a day wont feel quite so rough.
But we have been getting some snow and the skiing has been fantastic. Between my runs and lessons I have been making to-do lists of things we need to get done before we set out on the trail, because the time just keeps drawing closer. The other day I went shopping at EMS for snow traction devices and a bear canister. I had been trying to decide between micro-spikes or yak-trax, and after reading online reviews and talking to some salesmen, I decided micro-spikes were what I needed. They have more traction, and are really designed to go hiking in and fit over bigger boots. I was also trying to decide between two different bear canisters: the bear vault, and the Garcia Bear-resistent container. I ended up getting the Garcia because it is lighter and cheaper, and they both had gotten equally good reviews. Tom has the bear vault, so we can compare and contrast. I think we will be bringing them the full distance, so we wont have to bear bag. They also make great stools (and drums).
I think I freaked my parents out a bit by bringing home an ice axe. I dont think they realized we were going to be in the snow, so I eased their nerves by showing them photos of the trail and the amount of snow. But thats when my mom decided to get me the micro spikes for my birthday (so I would have her to thank when I dont fall off the mountain). I am really excited to bring my micro-spikes and ice axe to the mountain to try them out.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Hiking Songs
A good way to keep away bears, and to maintain some semblance to sanity, is to sing while hiking. And because I think Jenna would push me off a cliff if all I sang was Little Wayne, I am now on the hunt for good hiking songs. If you have any, please pass them along. Below is a classic that my dad taught me.
The Happy Wanderer
Val-der-ri, val-der-ra
Val-der-ri, val-der-ra ra ra ra ra ra
Val-der-ri, val-der-ra
(sing the last line of the verse)
I love to go a-wandering
Along the mountain track
And as I go, I love to sing
My knapsack on my back
I love to wander by the stream
That dances in the sun
So joyously it calls to me
Come join my happy song
I wave my hat to all I meet
And they wave back at me
And blackbirds call so loud and clear
From every greenwood tree
Oh, may I go a-wandering
Until the day I die
And may I always laugh and sing
Beneath God's clear blue sky
The Happy Wanderer
Val-der-ri, val-der-ra
Val-der-ri, val-der-ra ra ra ra ra ra
Val-der-ri, val-der-ra
(sing the last line of the verse)
I love to go a-wandering
Along the mountain track
And as I go, I love to sing
My knapsack on my back
I love to wander by the stream
That dances in the sun
So joyously it calls to me
Come join my happy song
I wave my hat to all I meet
And they wave back at me
And blackbirds call so loud and clear
From every greenwood tree
Oh, may I go a-wandering
Until the day I die
And may I always laugh and sing
Beneath God's clear blue sky
Monday, February 1, 2010
Postholer.com
Posted by Tom
Good news for hiking, bad news for skiing: snowfall is below average for the year! I found a cool website today that has snow depth measurements for various areas of the trail, and the area in which we would run into the most trouble, Rainy Pass, is below average!
Another cool feature of the site, Postholer.com, is the interactive Google Map which has the trail on it, including elevations. It is fun to go along the trail online and check it out.
Good news for hiking, bad news for skiing: snowfall is below average for the year! I found a cool website today that has snow depth measurements for various areas of the trail, and the area in which we would run into the most trouble, Rainy Pass, is below average!
Another cool feature of the site, Postholer.com, is the interactive Google Map which has the trail on it, including elevations. It is fun to go along the trail online and check it out.
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