Day 77: Mmm Mmm Good

July 16, 2015
Hwy 70 – Belden Town (1288.9) to Tentsite before Robbers Spring (1312.4)
23.5 PCT miles today
1346.8 miles total
Today’s Elevation Gain/Loss: + 6,654 ft, – 2,399 ft

Almost every morning for the last couple weeks, I’ve thought “Today probably won’t be very eventful. I doubt I’ll have much to write about, so maybe I’ll make today’s blog about what we eat out here on trail!” Then, without fail, 20 plus miles go by and stories unfold throughout the day. A storm will come in, or we’ll see a bear, or take an unexpected nero, and by evening there is too much to write about and the long-awaited food blog never gets written.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So today it is finally here. I can summarize today in one sentence I think. We climbed a steep mountain, felt great all day, saw some friends on trail, and got to camp with time for a movie. There, now onto food!

Food has got to be one of the most important tools of the thru-hiker. It is literally like putting fuel in a car…if you’re on empty you feel sluggish and slow, if you have calories to burn you feel great. The greatest challenge comes in getting enough calories without carrying an excess of weight. Also, variety is key since we eat the same food every day for almost 5 months. Everyone has a different menu, but here is ours. Enjoy!

Breakfast (3 different options):
– Plain instant oatmeal with added Nido powdered milk, raisins, brown sugar, ground flax seed, and slivered almonds
– Pop Tarts
– Granola with Nido powdered milk

Mid-Morning Snack:
– 2 “bars” each (Clif Bars, PowerBars, ProBars, Snickers, crackers with cheese, pre-packaged snacks, etc.)

Lunch (5 different options):
– Tortilla with summer sausage, cheese, mayo and mustard
– Tortilla with tuna, cheese, mayo and mustard
– Tortilla with salmon, cheese, mayo and taco seasoning
– Tortilla with powdered peanut butter and jelly (with a beef stick each as a snack for extra protein)
– Tortilla with powdered peanut butter and Nutella (with a beef stick each as a snack for extra protein)

Snack with Lunch:
– Wasabi peas
– Ranch corn nuts
– Trail mix
– Peanut butter filled pretzels

Dinner (5 different options):
– Knorr Pasta Sides
– Macaroni with powdered cheese
– Tortellini with spaghetti/alfredo sauce packet and parmesan cheese
– Dehydrated refried beans with dehydrated onions and TVP (Texturized Vegetable Protein) in a tortilla with cheese and Taco Bell hot sauce
– Knorr rice sides in a tortilla with cheese and Taco Bell hot sauce

Dessert:
– Skittles
– Starbursts
– Peanut M&M’s
– Sour Patch kids
– Mike and Ike’s

Other:
– Olive oil to add to some dinners
– Crystal Light drops to add to water
– Hills Bros. Cappuccino powder mixed (2:1) with instant coffee
– Tea

And that’s what we eat! We aren’t overly healthy (some hikers manage to go vegan, vegetarian, non-GMO, gluten free etc. out here), but it could be worse. Most importantly, we crave all of our food and each meal fills us up completely. Hopefully this can help others as they plan for their own hikes, whether they be across the U.S. or just down the road from home. Bon apetit!