Glacier Gorp

Gorp can stimulate the most interesting encounters in the mountains. When others offer their gorp, it’s usually out of friendship or because you look like you could use some food. Everyone carries gorp. If one is bold enough they reach into that bag of pleasure (or bacteria) and throw a handful of good calories into the body.

Back-country skiers burn an enormous number of calories in pursuit of their sport. A full day may require over 5000 calories or about 800 calories/hour. You have to fill up before you go and constantly fill up along the way. Like the engine that drives a car, high quality fuels power the muscles in the pursuit of powder. The human body works best eating unprocessed foods because that is how we evolved.

It’s interesting how processesed “healthy” snack bars actually are. They barely fit in the palm of your hand and range from 2-400 calories. Then your body has to breakdown the confusing host of chemical additives required to process, preserve and envelope your treat in paper. My rule of thumb is anything more than two lines on an ingredient label is off limits. If it’s a paragraph, it’s toxic to humans.

Granted, I still have those stretch of days where  I’m eating a few too many Blueberry Cliff-Bars, want a Diet Soda, or fry up some potatoes. But I avoid processed foods at every opportunity.  Being a “piscatarian” (vegetarian who eats seafood) makes it easy to stay away from junky foods. And an “apple a day” is something do and also consume the core.

We all have our favorite store bought mixes or perhaps you make your own like I do. I have an excellent supplier of the ingredients and order twice a year to keep me stocked and fed.

What I like is a variety of nuts, especially pecans and walnuts. I save money by buying “pieces” in bulk. The cranberries are tangy and cherries are almost fresh tasting. For quick energy I add chopped dried mango and papaya that I purchase in small bags at Rogues Garden in Valdez.

I make a gallon by adding each ingredients in a deep pan and then hand mix carefully.

Matt’s Glacier Gorp

1cup = 600 calories

Un-salted Nuts (1 cup each)

Walnut Pieces

Pecan Pieces

Cashews

Dry Roasted Peanuts

Almonds

Hazelnuts

Fruit (1 cup each)

Raisins Golden Sulfured

Bing Cherries

Cranberries Apple Juice Sweetened

Papaya

Mango