Destination: North of Grand Marais.
Reason: A Lake Superior Hiking Trail Facilitated Hike as lead by friend S.
Segment: 4.9 miles. The trail follows the Brule River for over two miles and features the dramatic Devil’s Kettle Falls. After nice forests, the trail climbs to a rocky knob with a view of Lake Superior, then descends into the Flute Reed River Valley.
Last hiked: May 2008
About 15 people showed up for this organized event. Friend S, as hike facilitator, gave his spiel on trail conditions, safety, and organized the shuttling of cars. The Naturalist on this hike, Eric, gave his spiel on what we could expect to see on the trail today. The great thing about these facilitated hikes is you can hike as slow (within reason, there are people waiting to make sure you get off the trail) or as quickly as you like, or you can hike with the naturalist, and everyone gets to through-hike a segment thanks to the shuttle coordination.
We were on the trail about 10:30ish. It was going to be a challenging hike with temperatures creeping toward 80*, extremely high humidity and high heat index. In addition, these northern segments had experienced a wind storm earlier this year and there was significant downfall that the trail crews just hadn't gotten to yet. (I heart the trail crews very much!)
The Husband and I were amongst the first four off the trail - it helps that we have "Dog-assist" (aka, Ben) since he keeps us moving right along. Because we were traveling with the hike facilitator, we had time to hang out, cool off, have a brewski, and change. This was also Andy-dogs second hike and it proved a bit challenging for him what with the heat and distance. He curled up in the shade with me and conked out.
Alas, I don't have any pictures from this year. I forgot to pack the camera and even if I had, I don't think I would have taken any pictures. Just too hot and futzy with the dogs.
Changing topics, with a short week since my return from Madison, WI, only one recipe to review:
Shrimp Korma and Basmati Rice (Ckng Lght, June 2011)
This was getting positive reviews over on the Ckng Lght bulletin board, and a quick perusal of the ingredients told me all I needed was some shrimp and coconut milk. Excellent! This did come together fairly quickly. I didn't start the rice soon enough so I had to wait till the rice was cooking before I could do the rest. I don't have "Madras" curry powder, only Hot and Sweet. The Husband opted for the Sweet. My one complaint is that this turned out a bit on the runny side for my taste, but probably my fault as I didn't measure my flour precisely and I had added some leftover summer squash to use it up. A delightful dish that I wouldn't hesitate to make again.
Whip up this spicy and flavorful Indian shrimp korma in just 30 minutes. Top the dish with a spoonful of thick, tangy Greek-style yogurt to counter the heat.
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| photo from CookingLight.com |
Ingredients
2 teaspoons butter
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
2 cups organic vegetable broth
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup diced tomato
1/4 cup frozen green peas
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
4 cups hot cooked basmati rice
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
Preparation
1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Add flour, ginger, and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add curry powder, garam masala, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 30 seconds, stirring. Stir in broth and 1/3 cup water; bring to a boil. Stir in milk and tomato; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add peas, shrimp, and remaining salt; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Spoon about 2/3 cup rice into each of 6 bowls. Top each serving with about 1 cup shrimp mixture and 2 teaspoons yogurt.
Adam Hickman, Cooking Light
JUNE 2011
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