There I am, rolling out of bed, feet firmly planted on the cold wooden floor. The thought of frost between the toes had awaken me.
I’m headed over to the stove to put the gas burner on for the morning ritual of creating a spoon-standing, smooth but rich, perked coffee brew in the forever coffee-stained pot.
On the way to the stove, I can’t but notice the outside temperature on the digital thermometer.
Why does that have to be mounted there for me to see each morning before I even start the coffee?
Zero-Point-Zero
I note the temperature. Not to bad I thought, but it required a second consternated look. Really… negative zero-point-zero (-0.0).
Doesn’t matter how you look at it this time of year, it could go up or down from here! It’s true, look at the photo, you can’t make this stuff up. I guess its colder than 0 this morning!
Big day today ahead, a trailside cooking rendezvous as promised. I posted it on Facebook’s “Snowmobiling in NH” page. Everyone is invited.
Bring a cooked meal or a meal to cook on the trail. Should be a great time. I know someone is going to try and out-cook me. Ha, Ha, Ha, bring it on.
It’s not just about the cooking. It’s the people, location, weather, scope of the food, and of course the antics. If you can’t make it fun, enjoyable, and memorable, why do it?
Packing for Trailside Rendezvous
I’m now on my second cup of coffee as Brian and I load up the snowmobiles: the cooking sled with the gas smoker, propane tank, hickory chips, utensils, meats, and other required items.
Yes, you got it, we will be smoking meat on the trail, baby!
It was a beautiful sunny day with virtually no wind. The recent snowfall left an ever so majestic living picture of frozen snow, forever locked onto the evergreen branches of the New Hampshire landscape.
Just breathtaking, as you now visualize the scenario!
Canada Jays
A few Canada Jays watch us as we begin our trek to the rendezvous. These amazingly friendly birds are notorious for finding individuals with snacks to feed them in the dead of the woods. A natural winter zoo but there is no peanut dispenser.
Cooking on the Snowmobile Trail
We reached our destination a bit early but it is going to take a few hours to smoke the meat.
After pounding down the snow to create our winter floor, we set up and got the smoker cranking.
Brian hopes that the rendezvous spot will be easily found and that others passing through will stop and check it out. No problem.
The temperature has soared to about 35 degrees, still with the absence of any wind. It’s such nice a day, warm enough for my winter tan.
The aromatic smells of smoking meat, hints of two-stroke oil, quiet 4-strokes, an entourage of snowmobiles filtering into the cook zone with many winter chefs creating their own culinary bonanza.
Bazinga, we must be in heaven!
Several snowmobile groups that had not heard about the Trailside Rendezvous stumble upon us. When asked how they found us, they simply said “We followed the birds!”
Thank you for reading, stay tuned and see you on the trail this winter once again.
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