Hawaiian Rainbow
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The rainbow is a mythological feature in many cultures, and Hawaiian culture is no different. A rainbow symbolizes the path that links humankind to the heavens. Long ago it was determined by the old Hawaiians that the Rainbow, the holy trinity of Banana, Strawberry (w/ li hing) and Vanilla, was the only form of Shave Ice that would connect you directly to the gods. So, after a rigorous and exhausting backpacking trip in the Hawaiian mountains seeking the divine, nothing quite hits the spot like a good rainbow shave ice on the way home. After catching this beautiful rainbow above my campsite I could taste the cool sweetness of a vibrant shave ice on a hot summer’s day at Makapuʻu beach. It’s a good reminder that the life of the mountains is connected to the life of the oceans. Mauka to Makai. The Koʻolau Mountain watershed is a full connection from the very tips of the mountains to the white-whipped seafoam that rides the closing-out edge of a wave at Makapuʻu. The high mountains were always considered to be sacred because they were closer to the gods. Remember that next time you think that the little torn-edge corner of your Cliff bar that you dropped on the trail doesn’t matter.
TFW you have good karma for packing out people’s trash on the trail
Back on topic- MEAT. Under the watchful eye of the rainbow I pan fry up two really nice lookin’ ribeye steaks and eat um with caramelized onions and garlic with my secret blend of seasoning sauce. I’m using the 10 inch GSI Pinnacle fry pan, and it performed perfectly on my trangia 27 ultralight stove with gas burner. This is one of the best meals I’ve had in the mountains to date. I have a method to bring meat up into the mountains, and I’ll share it with you for free (but donations are welcome). The first step is a thorough dry-brine overnight with a slightly greater than average amount of salt. For those of you that don’t know, dry brining is basically when you salt your meat and put it on a rack in the fridge for at least a few hours. The salt draws moisture out of the surface layers of the meat, the moisture then dissolves the salt, and as the water evaporates off the meat in the fridge, the salt then penetrates down into the meat, resulting in a more flavorful, better cooking steak with a nicer crust. This slight water loss is also important because the steak will maintain better quality after being frozen if the water content is slightly less, since ice crystal formation in the freezer causes physical and chemical degradation of meat. After dry brining I vacuum seal and stick in the freezer overnight, and I’m good to go for my mountain gourmet cooking.
Two ribeyes dry brined and vacuum sealed
Cooking up gourmet backpacking and camping meals has always been an interest of mine, and as I’ve done more and more trips up into the mountains I’ve refined my system and I think I do a pretty good job. There are limitations of course, and it’s very difficult to cook a three course meal on an ultralight burner after hiking for hours carrying 45lbs while filming at the same time, but I’m working on it. I have the gear that I have specifically because I want to cook in any weather conditions. If you see a rainbow, that usually means rain, and it’s impossible to cook in rain unless you have the correct setup. I do, and if you watch the video you’ll see exactly how delicious this steak is, and you’ll see that cooking up a hot and delicious meal way up in the mountains doesn’t have to be difficult. If you want to add hot water to a freeze-dried bag of salty powder then nothing wrong with that, but I urge you to try cook up some real food next time you go.
When you see a rainbow, expect rain
Everyone has their own reasons for being up in the mountains. Some people just want to exercise creatively, some people want to test themselves against the elements and some people think that the gods are up there somewhere. Why do I do it? I just like being drunk in the mountains and cooking up some epic meals. When I look in the mirror of Erised I see myself drinking a couple Hana Koa dark ales and a flask of Oban 18 then eating a big hot bowl of stew at my mountain camp. Either way, if you want to connect to the old Hawaii then I suggest getting a rainbow Shave Ice from wherever it is you choose to go. I recommend Tatʻs Shave Ice Truck, if you can find him…
My gear list on this hike/camp/cook:
Camera: Sony a7siii
Tripod: Peak Design Carbon Fiber
Mic: Rode VideomicNTG
Pack: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest
Tent: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid 2
Cot: Thermarest ultralight w/ mesh
Cook system: Trangia 27 with gas burner
Frying pan: GSI Pinnacle 10inch
Sleeping bag: Cheapo amazon bag
Inflatable Pad: Thermarest Uberlite
Knife: Tops Backpacker Bowie
Sticks: Bamboo from da forest
Carry everything in, carry everything out
If you have any questions about gear or shave ice then shoot me an email or comment below.
Aloha,
Cody
