More Trail Time w/Phil & Vince -> Bear!

· Trail Time --- 2 hours 12 minutes

· Temperature: 30ºF (-1ºC)

· Trail Time in October -- 12 hours 22 minutes

____(starting Oct. 1)
· Weight Loss Goal -- 24 pounds (11 kg)
__________· So Far -- 4 lb.

Spontaneity rules. I was so planning to have this day to rest. Not that I really need it.. but football was on, you see. Rest and football. A lazy day if there ever was one. Then at the last moment I decided to hit the trail. Cooked up some oatmeal, wolfed it down along with some water then Gatorade, changed clothes, and was out the door. Of all the ideas I had today -- two in all -- it was the best all afternoon. Colder weather had hardened the trail nicely, no more sloggin' through slush and mud like yesterday. A great hike topped off by some pretty darn fine tunes.

Of course, come dinnertime a little while ago -- idea number two -- I decided to make a Way North & West of Philly Bear Steak Sandwich. Steak-Umms? Nope. Beef Sirloin Roast? Nahh... Grizzly bear, man. I have no clue what cut it was but my friend Jack shot it last month. He insisted that for helping he and his girlfriend move last weekend that I have an 8-pound chunk of it. Ohhhh-kay. Took it I did even though I surely could have said no and he woulda been cool with that even though he did (and still does) have like 200 pounds of it in his freezer! So I thought what the heck, I'll try it. Three years I've been here and I haven't tried bear meat yet so why not at least once? I'm not too happy he went and shot a bear with the intention of using it for food and a blanket when he could have survived on grocery store food and L.L. Bean... but eh, at least he didn't shoot it for the sport of it which is just reprehensible.

Anyway... I cut a small portion off, sliced it soooo thinly, and used that instead of regular old cheesesteak meat. It was marinated for awhile in garlic and olive oil with a wee tiny bit of lime juice and balsamic vinegar. Throw in tons of onion and a hefty handful of equal parts mozzarella and mild cheddar, into a toasted hoagie bun... time to feast! The result? An unsually unhealthy dinner for me. Pretty tasty; wasn't too bad. I guess that means it was a little bad? Well, no... it was okay. Bear meat tastes like.... I don't really know since I didn't have a plain old grilled bear steak. The way it was prepped and cooked didn't allow me to really taste what it really tastes like. But the sandwich was alright. I gobbled it all down and wanted another so it was... like I said, pretty tasty. My stomach's had no bad reaction... not that it would but ya never know with something you've never eaten before. In any case -- I ate bear. I'm from New Jersey. People don't eat bear in NJ. But they do here. Doesn't mean I had to try it, was under no obligation but hey, what the heck!

In my ears on my hike this afternoon...

2nd Set of Phil Lesh & Friends -- 3/26/98

plus...

Bob Dylan:
You're No Good
Fixin' To Die
Gospel Plow
Freight Train Blues
See That My Grave Is Kept Clean