mt. harris trail mix

It is not summer anymore.

I know this because there is a light scattering of yellow leaves covering my front lawn and I've had a terrible cough for more than three weeks.

Therefore summer: please, come back soon.

In the meantime, here's one more summer memory – and a good snack that will take you through fall, winter, spring and all the way back to summer again.

Almost a hundred years ago, Scott's great-grandfather, Ley Edwards Harris, helped survey a mountain deep in the Rockies. They climbed up on a snowy, blustery day and Harris almost lost the camera equipment in a whiteout. Later, the chief surveyor decided to name the mountain after him.

Ever since I met Scott, he's been talking about climbing Mt. Harris. The mountain is practically buried in the back country of Banff National Park. There are no hiking trails and it only sometimes shows up on maps of the area.

This summer, Scott and his two brothers charted a way to Mt. Harris. It involved a week of hiking, lugging 70-pound packs and watching out for grizzlies (they only saw one).

Scott is an experienced hiker, and I quickly learned that Scott thought my suggestions for food and packing were a bit amateur.

Still I wanted to help, so I offered to make trail mix.

Yes, this was something the expert would let me do. So I set about making trail mix. I tinkered with a Canadian Living recipe called "Fanny Pack Trail Mix." (I certainly didn't tell the expert the name or he would think I was really amateur.)

I subbed in some salted seeds and nuts where the recipe called for unsalted, on the theory that you need salt when you're exercising and it would taste better. The expert agreed. I also added banana chips because, actually, banana chips are awesome.

The expert packed himself a big Ziplock bag full, and a couple smaller ones for the brothers. I held a bit back for my non-adventurous non-hiker life here in Edmonton.

While they were off scaling Mt. Harris, I ate a small container of trail mix every day at work as a mid-morning snack and thought of them.

When they came back – tired, hungry, but having reached Mt. Harris – the expert reported that the trail mix had served them very well. I was pleased.

one year ago: warm salad of crispy chicken thighs and green beans with garlicky tomato concassé
two years ago: little house on the prairie and beet hummus
three years ago: hop & go fetch it: german edition and parsley lentil pasta
four years ago: salted chocolate shortbread and mrs. doucet's apple chutney

mt. harris trail mix
adapted from canadian living

2 c. (500 mL) salted roasted sunflower seeds
2 c. (500 mL) green pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 1/2 c. (375 mL) raisins
1 c. (250 mL) roasted almonds
1 c. (250 mL) roasted cashews
1 c. (250 mL) salted roasted peanuts
1 – 2 c. (250 – 500 mL) banana chips

Get your biggest bowl out. Mix everything together. Store in an airtight container on the counter.