The simple pleasures of post-hike meals
Happy Lunar New Year!
A few years ago now, one of my best friends and I went on a trip to Fort Davis together. There’s a whole arc tied to the Fort Davis trip that I’ll go into some other time, but I want to focus on one of the simple pleasures of a well rounded hiking day: A delicious post-hike meal.
We did many things in Fort Davis, but the highlight was absolutely our long hike to the highest point in Davis Mountains state park. Even though Davis Mountains aren’t the highest point in the state, the highest point in the park is still amazing and affords absolutely breathtaking views of the wild west of Texas. You look out and see nothing but dirt and rock as far as you can see. It’s invigorating.
It was winter so the sun was on its descent as we were making our way down the mountain back to the trailhead. I used the finger-sun method to roughly keep track of how much sunlight we had, wanting to be down before the beautifully black West Texas dark swallowed us. It was my first time actually putting this advice to the test, and it worked surprisingly well. My friend and I made it to the bottom of the mountain, enjoying the brilliant colors the setting sun painted the landscape from the chilly shadow of the mountain.
We had eaten before we went up and did have lunch on the trail, but lunch was dried chickpeas, a banana, and a protein bar. That night, our plan was to try and catch the Marfa Lights so we drove out to Marfa for dinner, starving by the time we arrived at a humble Tex-Mex restaurant. It was a square, blocky building without any hint of Mexican colors beyond the sign. The inside was tiny, and reminded me of an old Dairy Queen more than a Tex-Mex spot. It was a pretty mid taco. Not bad, but I’ve had better Tex-Mex. But the moment that salty, greasy goodness hit my famished stomach, it was a religious experience.
The Science
Please note: I am not a nutritionist, so while I tried to teach myself the science, I lack the formal training. Any ways:
Your body needs electrolytes to function. When you are exerting a bunch of energy, you’re burning these electrolytes. Gatorade and products like it have sodium to restore those electrolytes you burn if you’re exercising or if you are sick. Water simply isn’t enough to replenish everything that is lost. After a hike, your body is hungry to replenish its lost electrolytes. Salt is already the number one flavor enhancer in cooking. Your taste receptors make sodium even more attractive, meaning that salty taco is subjectively tastier at that moment than if your body had been at rest.
You’ve also burned immense amounts of calories during the course of your long hike. So, at an energy deficit, calorie dense meals with complex fats provide a big double combo of replenishment and serotonin. Tacos also have carbs. In addition, you’ve likely not been enjoying well rounded nutrition during your hike.
As I understand it, the ‘hunger hormone’ ghrelin is suppressed by a counter hormone called peptide YY. Aerobic exercise releases peptide yy alongside ghrelin. You get hungrier, but it's suppressed. As you wind down, your appetite roars back into focus. This is the feeling that my stomach is a ravenous, bottomless black pit once I take that first bite of my post-hike meal.
My Favorites
If I am camping after a long hike, I like to make myself a nice meal over the campfire. Here are some of my favorite post-hike campfire meals.
Bacon Cheese Burgers: This is my go to post-hike meal. I toss the bacon in my skillet wok over the fire to get grease. I usually prefer to make burgers with ground turkey, chicken, or pork depending on what is cheapest, so the grease from the bacon provides helpful fat. I then use the grill to get a solid sear on the burger before transferring it back to the wok. The standing bacon grease is used in a few ways: it is brushed on the grill to prevent sticking, brushed on the buns before they get toasted on the grill, and then what is left is saved for breakfast the next morning.
Beans, Rice, and Cornbread: This one is delicious, but requires a bit of work. I usually soak and simmer the beans at home before going, but canned is fine here. I like to fry the dry rice before adding the water to give it a bit of flavor, then add the beans once the rice is done. I like to dice up some fresh peppers and onions that get sauteed in my skillet wok in either some butter or some bacon fat, depending on if I’ve made bacon that camping trip. After those are done, and added to the beans and rice, I make skillet cornbread to go along with it. Some of the fond (the sticky bits stuck in the pan after cooking) from the peppers and onions gets into the crust of the cornbread. I usually use red beans and dice up the sausage, along with cajun spices.
Hash: This is a classic American breakfast, but I find it fantastic after a hike. The canned corned beef hash by Hormel is already delicious, but I like to use what other fresh foods I’ve already brought for other meals to minimize food waste. I chop up whatever protein I already have, along with dicing up some potatoes. This is another great place to use some more bacon. I dice up the potatoes and let them soak in some cool water to remove some of the starch and produce a nicer fry. I first dice up some of my onion fairly fine and saute it before adding the chopped protein. After the protein is mostly cooked, I set it off to the side and replace it in my wok with potatoes. Once these are nice and golden, I add the onions and protein back. After it warms a bit, I like to make a hole in the center of the hash and crack an egg in.
Tacos: Tacos are just as good around the campfire. If I am making campfire chilaquiles for breakfast that trip, I use the extra corn tortillas for dinner. While I like to make tacos al pastor, you can use any protein. I chop and make the marinade at home before I go on my trip, but you can also do it in the morning before your hike. Fry up the marinated protein with some onions and, if I’m making al pastor tacos, diced pineapple. I like to grab a fresh lime and also make some fresh pico de gallo to go along with it. Alternatively, I sometimes skewer the protein and cook it on the grill.
Man, I need to get back into the wilderness, and soon.
Thanks for reading.