Best Post-Backpacking Celebration Meals

[Bonfire]

Some of the best mental fuel for me to get through long mileage days is to think about where I am going to have my post hike meal. I personally love a good brunch spot with a weird bloody mary (Like Sobelman's in Wisconsin), and southern food ALWAYS hits the spot. Do you have any particular after hike meals or post trip celebration routines you do?

[Naturally_Nico]

Post hike beers are a must especially if they are chilling in the cooler in my car if they're not in the car waiting for me when I take my boots off then I'm going to the closest bar where my sweaty slef won't be judged and ordering a beer and fries. 

[rabbitfeet]

if i have any leftover food from a backpacking trip, it's weirdly satisfying for me to eat all of it as soon as i can! sometimes, the trip doesn't really feel like it's over until i've done that. recently, i had just a few handfuls of gorp left, getting home on a hot and muggy day, so i dumped it into a bowl of ice cream and called it a day. it's that feeling of tidying up that feels really good for me 🙂

[jgore07]

I am a big fan of good local pizza and a beer after finishing a long hike such as Tommy's in Mountain View, AR or U.S. Pizza in Central and N.W. Arkansas.  

[Bonfire]

I was just near Jasper hiking and climbing. We hit up a really good BBQ place but that's about the only eating we did besides for stuff we cooked. I think I fell in love with Arkansas though

[Bonfire]

@ jgore07

I replied to the wrong post below.....

I was just near Jasper hiking and climbing. We hit up a really good BBQ place but that's about the only eating we did besides for stuff we cooked. I think I fell in love with Arkansas though

[Cyndl]

Me friends and I have always sought out that place only the locals know. You can tell when you’ve found it because it’s where you see the same 5 guys sitting around every morning reading the paper. 🙂 

Sometimes it is that promise of a really good meal that gets you through to the end.

[WeAdventure]

*Fresh* foods. As in not freeze dried/ dehydrated stuff, just good natural fresh whole foods that weigh a ton in water. After my thru hike, I had a burger, but then I realized the salad bar was the best part. I just had lots and lots of salad. It was so heavenly.

[tristanofalls]

Yes, yes, hydration is often the most important/satisfying thing you can do after long treks.

Beyond that, I personally find that it varies a lot what I'm craving. Sometimes I want simple carbs, sometimes protein, and sometimes just lipids. Maybe I'm listenig to my body's needs... Maybe I'm just capricious. 😉

[JimV]

Much of my backpacking activity over the past 40 years has been in the Grand Canyon (so if anyone has a question about hiking there, I'll try to answer it) on trips ranging from 5-10 days over most of the named trails and a lot of different routes into places few people go.  After reaching the Rim and getting cleaned up (usually at one of the lodges where we've booked a room, but sometimes just at the campground showers), the first post-ascent meal will be at the El Tovar Dining Room on the South Rim, or the North Rim Lodge Dining Room when there during their much-shorter season (May-Oct).  Both are excellent, but you'll need to make a reservation in advance as short-notice availability or cancellations are extremely rare during most any season for either.

If you do eat at El Tovar, be sure to get a bowl of the shrimp bisque as an appetizer if that's one of the daily specials -- it's the best I've ever had, and that includes a lot of tasting in New Orleans and other places where it's more of a regular item on the menu of mid- to higher-end restaurants.