Sometimes it’s not the food – it’s where you are and the person you’re eating with that makes a meal special and memorable.  My hiking buddy and I had our last hike together for many months on Sunday.  We returned to the Goldfield Mountains to search for an elusive trail that will now have to wait til November to meet my boots.  In lieu of the missing trail we opted to scramble up several rocky hills.  Lest you think these were gentle little mounds, here is the view of our car from our picnic spot:

Can you even see that little dot down there?

In any event, after our exertions we had a fancier than usual mountaintop meal.  HB (hiking buddy) brought smoked salmon, caviar and those wafer thin crackers that want to be Wasa bread but aren’t rough and tough enough.  I brought smoked gouda cheese (which come to think of it was a gift from HB), grapes and salted pecans.  Accustomed as we are to wolfing down sandwiches, this was a meal fit for royalty, and we enjoyed every bite.

The company was superlative, the views in all directions were breath-taking and the day was warm without being hot.  There is no accompanying recipe to this post; here’s what you do:  buy some great smoked salmon and a little jar of caviar, pack that with some crackers, fruit and nuts in your pack, remember to take plenty of water, and don’t forget a lemon (HB didn’t), find a high place, climb to the top with a good friend, and eat.  Buon Appetito!