We are on an overnight campout with our grandson and I got to thinking about someone who claimed Thru-Hikers only ate as much as they did because they did not get enough of the right micro-nutrients. The claim was two thousand calories was more than enough.
Assuming you are walking on flat ground without a backpack, 20 miles will consume over 1,500 calories. Toss in a backpack and some ups and downs and you are at 2,700 calories. Add that to your base of 1,200 to 1,400 a day for just being alive and you are far over that “2k will do you” thesis.
That said I’m probably going to eat only 1,600 calories today. But we didn’t hike much and I’m trying to lose some weight. I’m up to 170 pounds after coming home. I know. I was at 184 until just before I left for the trail, but I got to 160 or less on the PCT and as I compare then and now, I like the lower weight.
Yes. Today I had two types of fresh fruit and other theoretically healthy foods, but the total calories make a difference as to how far you can hike. If you’ve only had 2,000 calories you aren’t gassing out when trying to do twenty miles because you don’t have the right magic nutrients. You are gassing because you didn’t eat enough.
Getting back to our overnight trip, the campground we went to is “Intake” Campground on South Willow Canyon Road (the campgrounds have names like “loop” and “Boy Scouts” and “fork”). We camped here before and enjoyed it.
It was where our grandson wanted to go back to and it has a nice water source to filter from. Admittedly, the ranger’s cabin has a spigot out front, but this lets us avoid the water carry.
Better yet, the rangers took down all the payment envelopes. Camping is free now until it closes for snow. The campsites all have privies, picnic tables and fire rings as well as flat tent sites.
My allergies are clearing up so I don’t appreciate the privies stocked with toilet paper as much. Suddenly I can smell them. 😯🙁😯. But I’m enjoying the location. Beautiful fall colors. Nicely flowing creek. Great company.
In addition, this national forest has free campfire wood. The free campfire wood is neat. They cut up and stack the blowdowns and such early in the season for people to use until it is gone.
Works well. They don’t have to carry it all out and hikers and campers get free wood most of the season. Even today, some was still left. So in addition to cooking a very late lunch on our camp stove we are doing s’mores over a campfire at a fire ring.
Who knows what dinner will bring.
A great day.