It doesn't get any better than this.
Near the end of last winter, my friend Jen (hiking name "Pacer Tailbone") and I were on a hike through some woods soon after we completed our 30 mile winter solstice trek. We were on this shorter 8-10 mile hike, and it was rather anti-climactic considering our previous expedition through hills, valleys, bluffs, and prairie frozen into a winter wonderland. So we reflected on much of our hiking and "what next". After a creek crossing we noticed a seemingly hidden gem of an area...a small grove of pawpaws. I made a mental note of our location and jotted it down when I got home. This weekend it was time to go check out the area for ripe pawpaws!
Intimidating Minnow joined me for the hike which is presently miles of trail being used as a rather large spider retreat. Even a trusty spider stick (a large limb used to wave in front of you through the air as a last ditch effort to defend your face from spiders while walking) didn't protect me from the soon to be silky blanket covering my sweaty body. Why did I wear a tank top. After a number of abrupt stops and frantic brushings of arms, Intimidating Minnow said, "Here, I'll go first!" I asked if he wanted the spider stick. He chuckled and said, "No." Within about 10 feet he was brushing his arms and his pace became an awkward series of steps. I smiled.
We made it to "the spot". For some reason we started whispering. "Do you see any?" "The sun is in my eyes." "Oh, Jesus, the mosquitos." And then there they were, hidden high above in the shadows of the large pawpaw leaves. Jackpot! We picked 13.
Today I scooped all the pulp from those pawpaws that were ripe (4 are not quite ready to be opened up) and froze in a freezer bag for future smoothies or whenever I want to use them in place of bananas. If you're a fan of bananas or mango, you'll love the flavor of the pawpaw. It's a delicate mix of both flavors in one fruit.
Image credit: Cale Ruiz
Near the end of last winter, my friend Jen (hiking name "Pacer Tailbone") and I were on a hike through some woods soon after we completed our 30 mile winter solstice trek. We were on this shorter 8-10 mile hike, and it was rather anti-climactic considering our previous expedition through hills, valleys, bluffs, and prairie frozen into a winter wonderland. So we reflected on much of our hiking and "what next". After a creek crossing we noticed a seemingly hidden gem of an area...a small grove of pawpaws. I made a mental note of our location and jotted it down when I got home. This weekend it was time to go check out the area for ripe pawpaws!
Intimidating Minnow joined me for the hike which is presently miles of trail being used as a rather large spider retreat. Even a trusty spider stick (a large limb used to wave in front of you through the air as a last ditch effort to defend your face from spiders while walking) didn't protect me from the soon to be silky blanket covering my sweaty body. Why did I wear a tank top. After a number of abrupt stops and frantic brushings of arms, Intimidating Minnow said, "Here, I'll go first!" I asked if he wanted the spider stick. He chuckled and said, "No." Within about 10 feet he was brushing his arms and his pace became an awkward series of steps. I smiled.
We made it to "the spot". For some reason we started whispering. "Do you see any?" "The sun is in my eyes." "Oh, Jesus, the mosquitos." And then there they were, hidden high above in the shadows of the large pawpaw leaves. Jackpot! We picked 13.
Today I scooped all the pulp from those pawpaws that were ripe (4 are not quite ready to be opened up) and froze in a freezer bag for future smoothies or whenever I want to use them in place of bananas. If you're a fan of bananas or mango, you'll love the flavor of the pawpaw. It's a delicate mix of both flavors in one fruit.
Image credit: Cale Ruiz