Chapter Chair Report by Heidi Teriele Karkoski - March 2010

Got lunch?

What’s on the menu has changed over the years, but one thing remains. I really enjoy lunch out on the trail or on a mountaintop. It’s something to look forward to along the journey. For me, nothing is better than a sandwich or “sammie” as I call it. (Thank you, Rachel Ray, for that nickname.) Once I found foods that traveled well, had “trail appeal,” and gave me the energy I needed, they became staples.

When hiking in summer, I prefer a ham sandwich with mustard, lettuce, and tomato on a seeded hoagie roll. Rolls hold up better to the smushing and crushing going on inside the pack. I hike mostly in winter, so something less likely to freeze needed consideration. Ham salad works much better and has more of those vital calories. I don’t fret at all about eating fatty foods and junk on a hike. That’s part of the reward for the effort. I have shifted from ham salad to spam to my current staple, a chicken salad sandwich. I recently rediscovered peanut butter and jelly — my first one in decades. This is now a contender, or in the least, a great emergency back up.

An experienced winter hiker taught me to cut a sandwich in several pieces in case conditions don’t allow for the consumption of the entire thing during one stop. Wrapping the sammie in foil gives you a waterproof “plate” which isn’t as likely as plastic to blow away. It’s fun to see what others have brought along — pizza, fried chicken, and hot soup are a few that look so tempting on a cold day. For extras, my pack contains a granola bar, bite-sized candy bars, brownies, cheese, and macadamia nuts. The nuts are practically the same consistency regardless of the temperature and they pack a lot of fuel. (Brownies are fuel, but macadamias are rocket fuel.) Water, sports drink and hot tea are my usual beverages. No matter how good lunch is, on a long hike it never fails that as the sun sets, the topic of food comes up. Our bodies are telling us we need something else. Visions of meaty hamburgers, any thing with gravy, hearty soups, stews, pizza, pasta ... oh, what will I have for dinner? I have contemplated this for many, many miles at the end of long days when I needed something to occupy my mind as my body was tiring. One friend of mine listens to see how long it will take me to start talking about food.

What are your favorite foods to bring on a hike? If you had to choose one food item that is an absolute necessity, what would that be? Let me know by sending an e-mail to eveweallski@yahoo.com

Your answers will be featured in an upcoming newsletter. Gotta go, it’s time for lunch!