Grab your bear can or camp chair, kick your feet up and chew the fat about anything Sierra Nevada related that doesn't quite fit in any of the other forums. Within reason, (and the HST rules and guidelines) this is also an anything goes forum. Tell stories, discuss wilderness issues, music, or whatever else the High Sierra stirs up in your mind.
Booze without food is just a massive headache in disguise.
Let's see, drop bag A. go hungry, drink booze for dinner, spend the next day miserable, swear off alcohol, yet again, drink booze for dinner again, or not, hike out on empty.
Drop bag B. eat well, suffer a small headache from caffeine withdrawal, eat more, hike, eat dinner, hike out on a full tank of gas with little, if any caffeine withdrawal.
I'd drop the food
just kidding
If you don't know where you're going, then any path will get you there.
Forget the food bag. Keep the goodie bag. No way Im going without my goodie bag even for a week! Ill eat roots, plus I can catch fish with my hands in most creeks!
Being an old Sierra wanderer and philosophically pragmatic here –
Two Sierra days out from the trailhead implies that, if only just for the sake of this scenario, one would then already be at altitude, and also most likely now be heading downhill, probably heading back…typical east-side Sierra trip?
Most likely figure ~15 -20 miles remaining – maybe one pass to cross (= 2 average days) and, if only 2 days from civilization, it is also most likely those boots would have been out for a while, exploring, maybe fishing, and already had done some miles, as very few of my typical Sierra trips involve only four days. At this point, headed back, I am usually conflicted - content but somewhat dreading having to go home.
When the time then arises for the big choice as stated: “2 Breakfasts, day time snacks, and 2 dinners” vs. “All your booze, coffee, chocolate, and maybe other vices”…not even close.
With apologies to those hypoglycemic, if I am sitting at 10,000 feet, Sierra content, and heading back anyway, I would rather enjoy those last few days having my coffee, chocolate, and a drop of Grand Mariner, Single Malt, or whatever…(Heavy emphasis on the whatever), and coast home happy albeit somewhat hungry. Two days out is not that far in. Probably I can beg a meal somewhere, perhaps from another understanding Sierra nomad at the usual “one-night-out-from-the-trailhead” camp site as many there will be food rich.
Now if 40 miles out and given the choice of losing - a week’s food, or my “extra” treat bag…then the food would probably win out…maybe.
