In 1980 I continued to hike through the great state of New Jersey. One of my favorite things in the day was my lunch break. I read a book called "The New Complete Walker" by Colin Fletcher. I was my guidebook for how to backpack. I carried Plantation Mint tea because of Fletcher's book. I even bought the exact same backpack that Fletcher used! He also advocated a long lunch break. Most hikers would try to get to the shelter or location where they would spend the night as early as possible. Then they would settle in and hang out. I would find a nice spot during the middle of the day and take a long lunch instead.
I would take out my foam pad and sit on it. Then I would get everything out for lunch. I had a quart canteen with a large mouth. I would pour powdered milk and Nestle's Quick chocolate milk mix in. After a vigorous shaking, I had an entire quart of chocolate milk! I drank the entire quart with lunch! Then I would get out the crackers. I had two variations: peanut butter crackers, and Velvetta cheese crackers. I always consumed a large quantity! Afterwards I would have some "gorp" also known as "trail mix" consisting of nuts, M&Ms, raisins, and a little bit of coconut. I would eat about a pound of the "gorp" every day as a snack and as a supplement to meals.
After lunch I would often lie down and stare up at the trees. They look amazing with the sunlight filtering through. Sometimes I would doze a little bit. I might take some pictures and write in my journal. After 1 to 2 hours I would pack everything up and continue down the trail. After the rest, I felt better and had a lot more energy! I knew I was going to make it all the way to Katahdin in Maine. My foot was still a little sore, but it was gradually healing. New York was not far away!
2011 update: After "pigging out" at the cookout yesterday I weighed in at 174.6 today. It's a temporary setback. Even while losing weight you have to live a little! My new running shoes came in today! I may try to break them in tomorrow morning.
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