JMT thru hike -Nutrition

When looking for a pure nut butter (that doesn't have palm oil or added sugar) check out the diabetic aisle at your grocer. They have peanut-butter where the only ingredient is peanuts, and it is much cheaper than the brands that are marketed on the organic/natural/affluent aisle or at Whole Foods. Kroger or Fry's will have it.

As someone else already mentioned, tahini is a good choice too. Sesame seed butter.

You can also get smoked mackerel in olive oil in those small tins, and smoked rainbow trout. Good stuff.

Costco sells organic peanut butter in 2-packs. Ingredients: dry roasted peanuts and salt. To mix in the oil that ends up on top I use one beater in the hand-held mixing machine, put it into the jar, hold on tight and mix on low.

Not sure if someone mentioned it, but if you are like me and aren't massively concerned with food pleasure on your hike, make pemmican, some oatmeal packets and some long term bread (bannock is what I'm going with).

I know a lot of people here feel like the food portion can really keep you from enjoying a hike but I view the food portion as just sustaining myself while I enjoy other things.

I did the hike in 15 days three years ago, and am considering doing it again this year in a few less days.

Someone asked why 9 days to VVR then 6 to Whitney Portal. I think that's a brilliant pace- though I like Muir Trail Ranch because it's farther South and less of a deviation from the wild nature of the hike. The northern half of the trail has 3 resupply breaks, while the southern half has none. Going SOBO you are just getting your legs, acclimation, and sleeping tuned up. Might as well break in gradually when you don't have to carry much food. The southern half is higher, no easy resupply- but you're hopefully fully acclimated to life on the trail. 6 days' food is a good number to fit into a Garcia bear can without pulverizing everything.

Regarding food- I was carrying about 15 pounds more bodyfat than I would prefer. I found that it was hard to eat more than 2000 calories on the northern half (Though I added restaurant meals at Tuolumne and Red's). Once I hit the southern half I was good for about 3000. I did lose about 7 pounds though.