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Appalachian trail mix

© Lee Ward

Many hikers make walking the entire Appalachian National Scenic Trail, from Maine to Georgia, a personal goal.

Ironically, the 2,160-mile marked footpath, known among avid hikers as the A.T., goes straight through Appalachia without ever entering West Virginia, the only state that lies entirely within the region known as Appalachia.

The A.T. is part of the same national park system that includes Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Smoky Mountains but lacks the kind of boundaries those other parks have. This trail is long and skinny - as skinny as a few hundred feet wide in some places.

I met a woman who walked the entire A.T. by walking as much of it as she could in the summers she had off as a school teacher. She finished the walk when she was in her 60s and after she retired from teaching.

With spring here and warmer weather approaching, those who enjoy hiking start thinking about hitting the trail, even if it's not the grand A.T.

One food item always associated with hiking, especially in Appalachia, is GORP. Literally, GORP is Good Old Raisins and Peanuts. It's the perfect snack for a hiker because it provides satisfying and filling protein in a compact, easy-traveling form for somebody carrying as little as possible.

Trail mix is about the same thing as GORP, because rarely anymore do you see GORP which is a mixture of just raisins and peanuts.

Commercial trail mix comes in all kinds of combinations, some sweet, some salty, some spicy, some tropical, some hot. You can make your own and suit it to your tastes.

Think about what flavors you like and think about what some of those flavors would combine well with. Then throw those things in a bag and you're ready to go.

Of course, maybe you like your nuts toasted or a seasoning roasted onto the snack. That's fine. Do it the way you like it.

Consider making your GORP with any of the following items:

Peanuts, cashews, pistachios, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, raisins, dried cherries or cranberries, sesame twigs, candy-coated chocolates, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, chestnuts, miniature cheese crackers, peanut brittle, graham cracker pieces, marshmallows, Reese's pieces, potato sticks, dry cereal, melba toast pieces, coconut, bagel chips, dried pineapple, pine nuts, corn nuts, banana chips, prunes, dates, small wheat crackers, popped corn, almonds, goldfish crackers and other novelty shaped favorites.

GORP is especially good for children to make because it's easy, there are no rules and there's no need to use the stove. Children can bag it up and take it with them wherever they go.

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