Rattlesnakes, BLTs, and The Best Coca Cola I’ve Ever Had – BLT Sandwiches
On a hot summer day when I was 17 years old, my good friend Jay and I, along with another counselor, Carolyn, led 15 kids into the woods. We were at Wind Gap in Pennsylvania starting a two-day, roughly 16-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail to the Delaware Water Gap as part of the four-day Camp Onas Pioneer Trip.
We started up the rocky trail in full pack with all our gear. We had to carry everything we needed on our backs – food, water, sleeping bags, stoves, tarps – sometimes a stretch for 10- to 14-year-old campers.
The plan, since we were on the Kirk Ridge portion of the trail that ended at the Pennsylvania-New Jersey border, was to delay lunch only a little and push the campers so we could get to Wolf Rocks for our midday meal. Despite the heat, their protestations, and maybe a blister or two, we knew they would be rewarded with spectacular views and the difficulty of getting there would soon be forgotten.
When we reached Wolf Rocks, we took off our gear, settled into lunch, and enjoyed the incredible vista. On one side, house-size boulders grade down into thick woodlands. On the other side, there is a dramatic drop off, creating a scenic panorama of miles and miles of forest in the valley hundreds of feet below, with mountains far off in the distance. On a clear day, like the one we had, it was breathtaking.
I was finishing my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and I decided to walk a short distance to the highest nearby rock. As I put my foot down a large snake – about four feet long – slithered away. Clearly, it had been sunning on the rocks and I disturbed it. I was unaware what type of snake it was, and up until this day I had no fear of snakes. So, I took it in stride. But I didn’t push it and with an abundance of caution walked away.
A short time later, when we had finished our lunch and it was time to move on, we geared up, placing our packs on our shoulders and cinching the waist belts tight. Jay and I took the lead, with Carolyn in the rear, scrambling gingerly atop the crest of the ridge for several hundred feet with campers behind us and a serious drop and view on our left.
As we took careful steps, I noticed the tail of a snake retreating into a crack in the boulders several feet ahead of me. This time, I couldn’t mistake its variety; its posterior tip, clear as day, ended with a rattle. I made the executive decision to change course.
Seconds later, as we turned, Jay, who was just to my left, was lifting his leg to step up onto a different large rock. But the leg never touched down. Underneath Jay saw another rattlesnake, this one coiled up and shaking its rattle. Without thinking he turned and ran, practically knocking over three campers on the way. We were freaked out.
After regrouping and making sure everyone was fine, we gathered our wits as best we could. Fortunately, none of the campers had seen a snake, so only Jay and I were filled with anxiety. We were panicked about the prospect of a venomous snake bite in the wilderness. We had the kids pick up sticks to swipe away any reptile that was coming in for the attack. While we knew it was unlikely to help, it made us feel better, and at least tapping the sticks on rocks would warn the snakes of our presence so they could vacate the trail.
We got to the end of Wolf Rocks and followed the trail climbing down from the highest point. Along the way, I recognized we were exactly where I had seen a rattlesnake on a previous Pioneer Trip. At the time, the snake was resting at least 15 feet away from us, completely unthreatening, and therefore the memory had slipped my mind. But with the day’s excitement the recollection returned. An inquiry when we got back to camp confirmed that Wolf Rocks is known for its rattlesnake sightings. Disturbing for a couple of city boys.
We got back onto the woodland trail and the rest of the day’s hike was beautiful, and thankfully, uneventful. By late afternoon we found ourselves at the Kirk Ridge shelter where we set up camp, made a fire, ate dinner, and settled in for the night. For breakfast the next morning we ate pancakes, topping them with wild blueberries and raspberries that grew nearby and were ripe for the picking. They added a burst of flavor to the plain pancakes.
The second day of hiking was also beautiful, but without incident. The trail approaches the Delaware River from the top of Mount Minsi. At an elevation of almost 1,500 feet, there are lovely views of the mountains in New Jersey across the Water Gap. Since we didn’t have anyone fearful of heights the peak was a perfect spot for lunch.
As the afternoon wore on, we wound our way down the mountain. It was a hot, sweaty day, but we were kept relatively cool by the shade of the native rhododendrons growing in the forest. The branches overarching the trail make for a miles-long tunnel and the needles of the hemlocks and other evergreens that make up the overstory pad the trail. Always a close second, the rhododendron forest became my favorite part of the hike after the adventures the previous day.
Shortly before we trekked to our campsite for the night, the trail emerged from the shade of the forest back into the hot sun and eventually the tiny town of Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania. There are a handful of houses and a church, and at the time, an old crusty general store with a luncheonette counter. There were no other customers when we were there. The campers parked themselves outside, removing their gear for a well-deserved rest under Carolyn’s dutiful watch, and Jay and I entered the store. The intention was a quick stop to purchase ice cream sandwiches for our charges. While they munched on their treat, Jay and I got waylaid inside.
We sat at the counter and decided to order some food, after all we were hungry teenage boys, it was hot, and the previous day had been stressful. For some reason we both got BLTs, mine without tomatoes, because I did not like them at the time. The sandwiches were good as a BLT always is, even without tomato, but unremarkable. However, in the refrigerator were tall, old-fashioned, thick glass bottles of Coca Cola, attracting us like a moth to a flame. We each got one, maybe two. We plied off the top with a satisfying hiss. They were ice-cold, with lots of fizz, sweet and syrupy, and completely refreshing after two hot, dusty days on the trail. They were extraordinary, revitalizing, and thirst-quenching, to this day the best Coca Cola I’ve had in my life, and perhaps the most satisfying beverage I’ve sampled.
We found our way back outside to Carolyn and our waiting campers, geared up, and got on the trail. It was a short distance over the I-80 bridge across the Delaware River, with trucks screaming by us, to reach our final destination. One more night in the woods of New Jersey before we finished early the next morning. Jay, Carolyn, and I returned to camp, while our replacement counselors took the kids down the river in canoes for two days, nothing as adventurous as rattlesnakes in their future, perhaps with the exception of the dangerous rapids at Foul Rift.
Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwiches
BLTs are so good that I could eat one any time of the year; however, bacon isn’t exactly health food, so I tend to wait for flawless summer tomatoes to indulge. When the tomatoes from the garden are warm, sun-drenched, and perfectly ripe, we eat BLTs several times during the late summer.
Any BLT is a good BLT, but some variations, like perfect summer tomatoes, make them better. The tomato itself should be cut into ¼ to ½-inch slices. It is the star of the show after all. And salting it beforehand brings out more tomatoey flavor.
The bacon is best thick cut. It’s sturdier and more substantial, making for a heartier sandwich. It also shouldn’t be cooked to a crisp. Crisp edges, yes, but some spots should be left slightly chewy.
Everyone has their favorite type of mayonnaise. Hellmann’s is mine. No matter what type you use, spread it with a heavy hand. The sandwich needs its tangy creaminess.
Lettuce should be ice cold, and iceberg. The crunch is the perfect foil to the soft tomato without dominating its flavor.
I’m not picky about the type of bread if it provides structure, doesn’t fall apart, and doesn’t Captain Crunch-up the roof of your mouth because it gets too jagged when browned. Any solid sandwich bread will do, and it must be toasted.
makes 2 sandwiches, 30 minutes
½ lb. of thick cut bacon
1 to 2 red, ripe summer tomatoes, depending on size
kosher salt
iceberg lettuce
4 slices bread
mayonnaise
- Cook the bacon either in a skillet or on a foil covered sheet pan in a 400 oF oven, flipping once or twice as needed. When cooked to the appropriate crispness, remove to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb extra grease.
- Slice the tomato into ¼ to ½-inch thick slices. Place on a plate and sprinkle with salt.
- Wash, dry, and trim the lettuce into leaves that will adequately fit your bread.
- Toast the bread.
- Smear one side of all four pieces of toast with a healthy coating of mayonnaise. Place bacon, tomato, and lettuce over mayo on one piece of toast in that order and cover with other piece, mayo side down.
- Slice in half, admire the structure of the sandwich, and enjoy.
