Lipsmackin' Backpackin'

The idea for Lipsmackin' Backpackin' was born many years ago in our old drafty cedar A-frame in the Tehachapi Range of California. We were newlyweds who spent a great deal of our free time hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, the scenic long trail that runs over 2,600 miles from Mexico to Canada and which passed through the rugged California topography not far from our home.

Returning to our mountain abode from jobs in the blistering Mojave Desert, we'd often see PCT through-hikers, hot, dirty, and beaten down, walking along Highway 58 to reach their next food drop at the town's post office. Curiosity eventually got the best of us, and we began to offer rides to these unique trail creatures. We found them to be innocuous and endearing folk, and offers of transportation rapidly evolved to include meals and overnight accommodations at our home. Without knowing it, we had officially become "trail angels." Word spreads quickly along even remote trails like the PCT, and phone calls suddenly began en-masse from hikers and other "angels" coordinating arrivals, transportation, and lodging.

Although our newly acquired title was unintentional, we certainly didn't mind. We were fascinated by the people that we met and the fabulous tales they told. We became particularly intrigued with the way long-distance backpackers sustained themselves for months on the trail. Since we hoped to someday complete our own through-hike of the PCT, we began collecting recipes from our trail acquaintances. These trail-tested recipes became the foundation for Lipsmackin' Backpackin' and its recent sequel, Lipsmackin' Vegetarian Backpackin'.