Backbreaking Backpacking

I love to hike.  Even as a child, I loved walking on trails through the woods.  So, naturally, I assumed I would love backpacking.  I even had Lasik surgery (eight years ago) so I wouldn't have to monkey with contacts on the trail.   Well, finally, this past weekend, our schedules were free, the weather was good and we headed to the Manistee National Forest for the weekend. (Unfortunately, we didn't take into effect the sports schedule--Michigan vs. Notre Dame, US Open (tennis), Detroit Tigers on a roll, just to name a few.)

We left Muskegon around 10:30 and headed north.  The first big decision was where to stop for lunch (our last civilized meal for 30 hours).  Our last option was the casino, just north of Manistee.

Now that we were adequately fueled, we were ready to hit the dusty trail.  We arrived at the North Country Trail trailhead around 1:30 and hoisted our 40+ pound packs onto our backs. This was going to be fun.

The toilet doesn't flush, but at least you get to sit down.

The hiking book led me to believe I needed to wear a hat 

to prevent ticks from getting in my scalp.  I don't look particularly 

good in hats, but who wants ticks?

I noticed a whole host of hikers on the trail not wearing hats,

but once you put one on, there's no going back.

About 2 miles into our 22 mile hike, my boot felt a little odd.  I looked down and noticed the sole was starting to come away from the shoe portion.  Thankfully, Jayne just happened to have duct tape in her pack.  (Now that is something I would never have thought to bring along.)  Catastrophe averted.  After a little repair work, we were on our way.

For some reason, I thought from my reading ("Fifty Hikes In Michigan") that this was going to be a scenic hike with views of the Manistee River.  We saw the river at the beginning, but from then on, we only saw trees.

Our one and only view of the river.

There were also supposed to be mileposts along the way.  We saw none.  It turned out to be a lot of up and down monotony.  I totally regretted not bringing my iPod.

These mushrooms would make a great piece of pottery.

Around 6:00, we came to Red Hill and walked up short steep incline to the "overlook".

Anticlimactic to say the least, but it had a nice area to set up camp.  We were all tired and ready for the break, however, according to the book, the author suggested waiting ("if you can resist stopping") for a better area a mile down the trail.  Well, somehow, we missed the "better area" and ended up at the end of the trail.  At this point, you have to walk 1.5 miles down the road to a bridge where you hook up with the Manistee River Trail.  (This takes you up the east side of the river which loops around back to the trailhead.)  Bummer!

As exhausted as we were, we were seriously hoping a pick-up would come along and live up to its name by picking us up and giving us a ride.  No such luck.  Thankfully, it was downhill to the bridge.  When we arrived, we noticed a porta-john, a faucet with potable water, and a small campground with picnic tables.  This wasn't where we envisioned sleeping when we planned the trip, but nobody felt like going any further. By the time we got the tents set up it was dark.

Note my husband's shorts.  They didn't dry overnight

and he ended up hiking in his sleep shorts the next day.

We hung our backpacks so the bears and raccoons wouldn't get them.

There were some nice guys at the campground who gave us some good advice for the next day.  They also offered to give us a ride back to the car if we didn't feel like hiking in the morning.  My husband wanted to take them up on it in the worst way.  Peer pressure won out and we passed on it.  After dinner, I have to say, a sleeping bag never looked so good.

All snug in our tent.

My feet ached when I lay down.  Actually, my whole body ached.  I was ready for a good night's sleep.  Unfortunately, the camp ground was next to the road, so every time a car went by, it woke us up.  Oh well, at least I was recumbent.  To be continued...

That's Just Peachy

It's the height of peach season in Michigan.  I love the Red Haven and Canadian Harmony varieties, which are both freestones (they easily come away from the pit).  An average peach has only 35 juicy calories where a nectarine has 70.  Peaches are a good source of potassium and have 20% of the RDA for Vitamins A and C.  I love to put them in yogurt or on top of cereal.

One of the farmers at the market told me that the best way to keep them is in the refrigerator.  Take two or three out at a time and place them in a paper bag for one to two days to ripen.  It works great.  For years I had been doing just the opposite--ripen first and them put them in the fridge.  (It took a man to set me straight.)  Unfortunately, the season doesn't last long.  Better get some now!

ABC's of Exercise

A fun way to add a little something new to your workout is to practice the alphabet.  We can all use a little refresher on our ABC's.

For your upper body:
   
Grab a medicine ball and with arms straight and parallel to the floor, trace the alphabet.  Start small and make them bigger as you get stronger.  You can do cursive or printing; upper case or lower case.

For your abs:

Lie face up on the floor with legs straight up.  If you need back support, place your hands under your hips.  Trace the alphabet with your legs.

If you get really good, try it with Chinese.

Turn Up the Volume

My husband has hearing difficulties, especially when I'm the one who's talking.  That said, yesterday, I noticed his hair looked a little different.  It was bigger.  When I asked him about it, he said he used my conditioner.  He remembered that I had talked about how shampoo opens up the hair follicles and you need to use conditioner.  Well, as it so happens, he had remembered only part of what I said.  I was talking about the volumizing shampoo and conditioner that I use and how they need to be used together.  He missed the whole "volumizing" part of the conversation.  I'm sure he heard it this time.  (If only he had done this 22 years ago, maybe he could have gotten the part of Kramer on Seinfeld.)

Summery Chicken

Is summery even a word?  Anyway, it's Labor Day weekend (boohoo) and summer is almost over.  I just discovered this recipe in a cookbook that I've had for years.  It is so refreshing on a hot summer evening.  You can refreeze the concentrates and use them again when you repeat this recipe (and believe me, you will want to have it again).

Lime Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa

2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 tablespoons frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine orange juice, limeade, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag.  Add chicken and marinate 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Prepare grill.  Grill chicken until brown and firm to the touch.  Top with Mango Salsa and serve.

Mango Salsa:

2 mangoes, peeled pitted and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper

Combine ingredients in a medium bowl.  Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

Indiana State Fair - Miscellaneous

A 444 pound pumpkin

The home arts at the fair were amazing.  There are so many talented people out there. (It seems unfair that talents weren't distributed evenly--some people have many, and some, like me, have none.)

The quilts were gorgeous.  I can't imagine the number of hours that goes into something like that.

There was a Lego exhibit of the Indianapolis Speedway that was incredible.  It even had the museum and the golf course that is inside the track.

Look at all the people!

There was a canned good sculpture competition.  All the canned goods go to Gleaners afterwards.  The winner was a Super Bowl theme (since the 2012 Super Bowl will take place in Indianapolis).  The cans used in the sculptures were chosen not only for color, but for how well they can be used in menus of the families that will eventually get them.

The Vince Lombardi Trophy and Lucas Oil Stadium

We watched a bit of the watermelon seed spitting contest.  The winner spit a seed over 18 feet.

 The beauty queen gave out the ribbons to the winners.

The runner-up had to sweep up the seeds between each contestant.

Of course, they had a competition for home grown produce.  The judging must have been at the beginning of the fair (it goes on for about three weeks), because a lot of the fruits and vegetables were shriveled up.

 You wouldn't have to worry about Halloween pranksters 

stealing this one off the front porch and smashing it.

Of course, there were a gazillion competitions, from the best fruit pies and baked goods to photography.

One of the oddest things we saw at the fair was the Blue Monkey Sideshow.  In one act, a guy put carabiners in his earlobes and then hooked a bowling ball onto them.  He not only lifted the ball up but swung it back and forth.  Now that's talent!  (You have to wonder who came up with that one.)

So this is it--my last post on the Indiana State Fair.  We probably won't go again for another 2-3 years.  Who knows, maybe I'll be hanging a bowling ball from my earlobes by then.

Indiana State Fair - Cake War

When it comes to cakes, I'm easily impressed.  I can't even make a layer cake.  No matter how hard I try, my layers always come out lopsided.  So, suffice it to say, I was totally blown out of the water by the cakes at the fair.  They  were so amazing it's hard to believe they were truly made out of cake.  It's a good thing they were behind glass, or I would have stuck my finger in the frosting just to make sure.

 What a cute idea for a baby shower.

 What Dad wouldn't love this for Father's Day?

 These look like you could put your head on them 

and go to sleep.

 I'm still not sure this is really cake.

 I love that purse.

 How did they get that frosting to look like melted cheese?

Anyone up for a picnic?

This has inspired me to sign up for a cake decorating class.  My expectations are low.  I just want to make a cake that doesn't have crumbs in the frosting.