«Sourdoughs» and Training,25 – The Trek

16.11.26

Training for my Santa Fe to Taos (SF2T) hike in New Mexico in 2026, I decided the worst outside conditions would benefit. The heavy rain, the wild wind and the pristine air.

Pulling the hood of my raincoat over my hat to deter most of the rain, I distracted myself by thinking about my sour dough starter while trying to avoid the deeper puddles.

Yes. I am one of those crazy people who make their starter a “pet” and travel to new destinations to capture new yeasts.

When pioneers explored the United States, there was no commercial yeast for bread. According to references, the pioneers were called “sourdough starters” because they carried sourdough and stopped to bake their bread.

Sourdough is an ancient relationship between «good» bacteria and yeast, all of them feeding on the flour and water that a human adds to make bread dough rise. The method has existed for thousands of years.

The initiator as a metaphor

But the downside to any starter is that it is a living thing! If I left it for the weeks needed for the SF2T Trail, I would probably starve to death, a horrible idea! I’ve been pampering mine for years.

“If those pioneers could do it, I can too.” I reflected.

You have to consume calories while walking. “My starter, called Bread Pitt, will be a metaphor and will fuel my walk!” I said out loud.

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