Gourmet Radio Hike

[VA7SNJ]

Few things are more pleasant than travelling in the great outdoors, in all its majesty, spending time with good companions, in all their magnanimity, and eating great food, in all its magnificence. So it was on a gourmet radio hike on the Stoney Hills Loop Trail east of Duncan, BC on July 8 with fellow ham Byron VA7BYR and hiking buddy Don (from Nanaimo, BC). Over the last few years, I have tried to improve and expand the food experience during my radio hikes. This has evolved into a kind of pot-luck field charcuterie, where people bring a variety of tasty treats to share. It’s always a surprise, as there is no planning. This last outing has certainly set the highest standard for us. I thought I would share our menu with you.

This photo shows our lunch setting, from the “mainland” part of Vancouver Island (Cowichan, east of Duncan) looking southeast past the southern end of Salt Spring Island toward Washington state in US in the far distance. A gorgeous day, calm and 21C.

Here is our spread, with descriptions:

Notes *

• SOTA Soup was a cold Vichyssoises handmade by Byron. He had lived in Provence, France and learned elements of French cooking. In basic terms, Vichyssoises is leek, potato, and onion soup, pureed, and served chilled. Sounds simple, but there is much more to doing it right. This soup was served amuse-bouche, that is, in a small quantity at the start of the meal to excite the palette. It certainly did - it was exquisite. The labour to make this means it is a once-a-year delicacy.
• 99% Brownies are my contribution. Named because family members think they are 99% perfect. These are the best I have ever tasted, but there is always room for improvement. They are best eaten at the end of the lunch, with espresso. If anyone is interested, I’d be glad to share recipe.
• Espresso coffee has become a standard on our hikes. Rather than get swamped in field preparation, stoves, etc. I elected to invest in a great thermos (Thermos brand), and make the coffee in the morning for drinking at midday. The key is pre-heating the thermos with boiling water. The coffee is still piping hot at midday. 12 oz is enough for a small cup for 3.
• SOTA Balls - Byron’s name for these chocolatey high-energy bites. There are many recipes. This one was very good. Presented below for you to try.

SOTA BALLS

Chocolate high-energy bites developed to improve your /P radio experience…

(modified and compiled by VA7SNJ from recipe from XYL of Byron VA7BYR)

Ingredients

- 1 ¼ c pitted Medjool dates, roughly chopped

- 100 g bar of 70% dark chocolate, chop into 1/8” granules

- ¼ c dried unsweetened tart cherries, diced

- ¼ c mixed nuts, coarsely chopped

- 3 Tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes

- 3 Tbsp mixed pecans and sliced almonds, finely chopped and lightly toasted on cookie sheet in oven until aromatic and slightly browned (watch them!)

- 1 ½ tsp olive oil

- 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Directions

1. Place dates, chocolate, and dried cherries in food processor. Process until finely chopped (~1 minute)

2. Add nuts and coconut. Process until blended

3. Add oil and vanilla. Process until mixture comes together.

4. Roll into 12 balls (or more if you want more smaller bites).

5. Refrigerate covered at least 30 min before serving. Store in airtight container in fridge or freezer.

If propagation is poor or weather is rotten, eating one of these will improve your world view.

We spent an hour over this lunch and marvelled how food always tastes better outdoors and that pot-luck dishes always seems to be different; hardly ever a duplication!

Radio: I had my IC705 along since not a long hike. I set up a 58 ft EFRW as an inverted L (18 ft vertical with cord to a tree limb; the rest of the wire sloping down to bush), and 16.5 ft radial raised 5 ft above ground and tied to nearby bush. 9:1 impedance coupler, then 4 m of RG-174 coax to a homebrew L-match, then to QMX. For the geologists in the crowd, we were located on a glaciated, well-cemented alluvial cobble conglomerate with subhorizontal bedding. This unit was highly resistant to physical weathering and glacial erosion, and forms the bluff we were hiking on. There is no surface water nearby so I suspect the rock was dry with very low electrical conductivity. My raised radial was essential for RF current return.

20 m was open and I made several SSB contacts into southern California (about 1000-1500 km) with this little gem of a radio. RBN showed CW signals 4 dB to 12 dB at distances of 1350 km. So this antenna system was working fine.

Several passers-by were intrigued and asked about our radio set up. Radio communication remains fascinating. We hiked out along the trail below, with great memories of a gourmet radio hike! Any others out there mixing haute cuisine with haute frequency…?

72, Scott VA7SNJ

[EI3LH]

@VA7SNJ

Nanaimo

I lived and worked in Vancouver for a good while. One of my favourite places on Earth (apart from the zombies populating Main & East Hastings ).

Nanaimo bars are one of the best sweet treats ever invented by humanity. Christ on a bike I miss those.

Horseshoe Bay and Bowen Island as well are unreal. I also saw a bear do a bugle in the woods on one of the mountains on the other side of the city. It answered the question does a bear do a bugle in the woods!

[VK3SQ]

… great spread and interesting hike, a good read. Thanks. Hope you had a good day.

Geoff vk3sq

[VA7SNJ]

Yes, too true. For all it’s seeming tranquility, there are black bears and cougars all over; probably within earshot. I was packing heat (bear spray) just in case.

Scott

[MM0EFI]

What a fantastic thing. I’m surprised you could be bothered with the radio after that!

@VA7SNJ

Any others out there mixing haute cuisine with haute frequency…?

Well, Alex @GM5ALX and I had a Christmas buffet on the summit of Curban Beag on December 16th. We were celebrating my last
Cairngorms National Park Summit

We probably need to up our game on the food front next time, but at least we carried a table and chairs with us. We’re not animals.

[VA7SNJ]

That’s a great vision. Any photos of the feast? Good trail recipes? Your trek was much longer than ours. Congratulations on all those summits. And no bears around the corner!

73 Scott

[HB9EBE]

Restaurants compete for stars and forks​. Among the innumerable badges in SOTA - how come there’s not a single badge for SOTA gourmets ? Food for thought?

[MM0EFI]

@VA7SNJ

And no bears around the corner!

Added spice from hungry bears sniffing out all of that aromatic food.

@VA7SNJ

Any photos of the feast?

Here’s one. It’s from this fine report

We enjoyed Fettercairn malt whisky, 0% beer, satsumas, malt loaf, mince pies, and probably a load of haribo if Alex had anything to do with it.

Furniture was an amazon table and REI rip offs of the Helinox chair zero. We left the silver cutlery at home, although we did have glass whisky tumblers.

[VA7SNJ]

Or at least a new topic for QSOs - signal report, name, location,….menu?

[VA7SNJ]

Superb! Captures the essential triad of satisfying /P operation - companionable outdoor experience + good propagation + great food. Perhaps Peter’s culinery SOTA badge should be in the shape of a triangle?

[MM0EFI]

@VA7SNJ

in the shape of a triangle?

That thing hanging off the table is a Christmas tree decoration that Tim @G5OLD printed for me. My wife took a little persuading to have it on the tree, but it made it.

[GM4LLD]

When Mrs. LLD used to accompany me on SOTA walks she always brought wonderful food. She sadly only has 20mins endurance for “radio tomfoolery” and wants to move off, so she stays at home/hotel etc. and I go on my own.

I have to point out that walking with Paul M0SNA/W6NEA is good because he makes up bags of supremely healthy trail-mix with nuts and dried fruit including pieces of crystallised Ginger which are just awesome. Also walking with Andy MM7MOX and Alan MM0VPM introduced me to other fine comestibles for SOTA walks including Jelly Babies, BabyBel cheese and Tunnock’s Caramel Wafers. I know how much sugar I can eat vs. the exercise done to keep my hyperglycaemia in the zone and so Toffee Crisps and KitKats fall into typical SOTA walks. Tunnock’s products however, are a little sugar rich and so I feel that for each Caramel Wafer eaten I would need to replicate some of Shackleton’s walks on South Georgia to metabolise the sugar But they do taste good.

So whilst these items are hardly in the Michelin Star category of some items described on here, they did give me a boost.

And I can see this thread is going to grow more legs than a centipede over the coming days

[G8ADD]

Looks to me like it might be retitled Gourmand Radio Hike!

My best effort was a tandoori chicken leg (it comes with a built-in handle!) accompanied by cold baked beans eaten out of the tin with a spoon (don’t wince until you try it, its completely different in flavour to heated baked beans and gives an energy boost!) and Andy will confirm that I carry a small metal flask of malt whisky, usually Glenmorangie, which also doubles as a weight to throw a wire over a tree branch. Often, though, I just have a couple of pork tongue butties and a thermos of coffee! If the hill is good sport and the views amazing, who needs a culinary distraction?

[MM0EFI]

@GM4LLD

So whilst these items are hardly in the Michelin Star category

We’ve just let the whole world know why the Scots die 20 years before everyone else.

[VA7SNJ]

Thanks for the note Brian. Ah! Tandoori chicken sounds like an excellent addition to a /P menu. Re: cold beans - I agree 100%; they are immediately good and satisfying, plus give a sort of guilty pleasure (plus a metal can for emergency boil-ups!). As a former field geologist, my fav field food was canned salmon, Snickers bars, and apples; all compact and bomb-proof.

For me, all food tastes better outdoors and the fun of pot-luck field charcuterie is not knowing what will appear to be shared between companions. I view good food in the field not as a distraction, far from it; rather, as a kind of glue that brings a group together and can rescue a radio hike from poor propagation or marginal weather.

Now, an all-important question: has your whisky flask/throw weight ever got stuck up in a tree!?

[G8ADD]

@VA7SNJ

Now, an all-important question: has your whisky flask/throw weight ever got stuck up in a tree!?

A good malt is far too civilised to embarrass me in that way!

[HB9EAJ]

Hi Scott,

A fun read indeed!

I usually keep it simple: a couple of sandwiches made with wholegrain bread, tasty ham, butter or mayonnaise, mustard, and a few pickles. Nothing fancy, but they always hit the spot after a hike.

My partner would like to know the recipe for those 99% Brownies. Is it a closely guarded family secret, or are you willing to share it with the rest of the SOTA community?

And while we’re at it… since I’m flying to the Rockies in just one week, should I buy bear spray?

Three years ago, when I activated on Vancouver Island and farther north, I bought a can but never saw a bear, only some signs that they had been there. I always carry bear bells, just in case. Unfortunately, I can’t take bear spray on the plane, so I have to buy a new can every trip, which is annoying.

BTW, the note about the cemented alluvial cobble on VE7/CL-051 caught my eye. I remember that summit very well, I activated on this kind of stone myself:

73 Stephan

[VE6IXD]

@HB9EAJ

“And while we’re at it… since I’m flying to the Rockies in just one week, should I buy bear spray?”

As the Alberta Association Manager, I would strongly recommend having bear spray readily to hand, if you are hiking in the back-country in western Canada. Bear bells are not considered adequate warning to the aniimals.

Ian VE6IXD

[MM0EFI]

@HB9EAJ

should I buy bear spray?

100%

Then you won’t need it. That has always been my approach.

[VA7SNJ]

Hello Stephan, thanks for post. Glad to share all with all. Apologies for long reply; you can skip around as you like.

99% Brownies (modified by me from original recipe by Paul Hollywood)

Ingredients

• 225 g (8 oz; 1 1/4 c) semi-sweet baking chocolate (~45% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
• 225 g (8 oz) butter, cut into ~2 cm chunks
• 3 large eggs
• 225 g (1 c) caster sugar*
• 75 g (2/3 c) self-rising flour*
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 200 g (1 c) semi-sweet chocolate chips*
• 1/2 c pecans (whole or pieces; finely chopped)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp cacao nibs*

Notes *

• Caster sugar (aka “super-fine” sugar) is simply a finer version of regular granulated sugar (but NOT as fine as icing sugar). Can make by placing equal amount of regular sugar in a food processer and pulse until grains are about half-size; simple as that. This finer sugar blends well with no graininess. Make and save a bag for later brownie batches.
• Self-rising flour = regular flour + baking powder + salt. You can buy it or make it (2/3 c white flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp (rounded) salt. Premix before adding to mixture.)
• Chocolate chips - NOT the same as baking chocolate. Chips contain added sugar, milk fat, and stabilizers like soy lecithin, making them sweeter and helping them maintain their shape during baking. You need both types here.
• Cacao nibs - this is part of the magic juju of these brownies. Nibs are coarsely crushed cacao beans (from which cocoa powder is made). Spread on top, the nibs add crunch and intense burst of flavour to the brownies. Hard to find and expensive, but you only need 1 Tbsp per batch, so buy 100 g or so and keep for later batches; well worth it.

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C/ 355F/ gas mark 4. Line 22 x 22 cm (9 x 9”) baking pan with parchment (baking) paper (up and over sides).
2. Melt baking chocolate and butter in medium-sized metal or melamine bowl sitting on a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure the bowl does not touch the simmering water. Stir until smooth; set aside.
3. In separate bowl, pre-mix the dry ingredients: flour, salt, chocolate chips, and pecans.
4. In large bowl, beat eggs and sugar with hand-held mixer until pale and thick enough to start keeping shape and just forming folds (takes ~2-4 min.)
5. Add melted chocolate/butter and vanilla to the egg/sugar mixture and gently fold in with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Stop when the colour swirls (abruptly) disappear leaving an even brown shiny surface.
6. Gently fold in the dry ingredient mixture. *Critical: do not over-work! STOP when the dry ingredients are just fully mixed. The less you man-handle this mixture, the better.
7. Pour mixture into the prepared baking pan; spoon flat. Sprinkle evenly with cacao nibs.
8. Bake in center of oven for about 30 min until top is cracked, dry-looking, and crusty. Ovens vary. Test with skewer into the center; it’s perfect when just a bit of mixture sticks to skewer when removed. (Note: I expect you will make many batches of these brownies, so you can calibrate your cooking time to perfection; for me it’s 31 min.)
9. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Allow brownies to cool in the pan until completely cool (this is torture…).
10. When completely cool, lift brownie slab out of pan by parchment paper and place on large cutting board. Use large knife to carefully cut into your desired size pieces (I cut a 6x6 pattern, giving 36 brownies). Eat your first one and drift off into a state of bliss.
11. Store in air-tight container in refrigerator or freezer. (Note: chilled or frozen brownies are even better than those at room-temperature. However, gently-warmed (10 sec in microwave) goes exceptionally well with vanilla ice cream or gelato. Just sayin…)

Bear Spray

I second comments from Ian VE6IXD. Bear spray is the strongest deterrent for aggressive bear encounters. Bear spray can be rented at some Canadian national parks. No you cannot fly with it, but even to buy at ~CAD$75/can, that is cheap defense, considering the possible consequences. Best to wear the spray on your person (on belt or cross-chest sling), NOT on your pack. A bear may well appear during your lunch break when you’ve taken off your pack and its out of reach right when you need it.

I would ditch the bear bells - many believe they are “dinner bells” since bears can associate that sound with humans and food they have. A good loud whistle (Fox 40) should be around your neck and/or on your pack strap. Talking or clapping in areas of dense vegetation can alert a bear that you are there. Much as I appreciate quite tranquility in the forest, silent hiking risks a surprise encounter around a corner.
Take time to learn about bear behaviour and deterrent methods; many reputable online sites. Note also that cougars behave differently than bears, they may approach silently from the rear. In predator country, good to keep your children in sight, your dogs on a leash, and your head on a swivel.

Vancouver Island

I too have hiked up to that summit (Mount Quimper, VE7/CL-051). Stunning views and of course a tasty array of goodies to eat. Below are photos from our hike this summer. For radio, I used a QMX, to homebrew L-match, 5 m RG-174 coax to elevated 2.5 m whip antenna with capacitive hat, mounted on guyed hiking pole. Down-sloping radials from 1.5 m feed point down to about 0.5 m at bushes. At that time 20 m was open and I had contacts in W Canada and W US, and heard Chile.

Of course, if you come again, we must try a gourmet radio hike!

Best 73, Scott

PS - your 7-band antenna design still remains one of the best multi-band wire antennas I’ve seen!