Lyme Disease Facts and the Ticks who are causing it!

Since recently having been bitten and currently being treated for a tick bite and potential Lyme exposure I have decided to help with awareness!

This was my wake up call to letting as many people know about Lyme disease as I can reach! 

I was surprised to see how little is done to educate for a growing problem, especially in the Northeast Region of the United States where Lyme is so prevalent.  If known what to look for early, it is nearly always curable.

Lyme disease is caused by the tick-borne spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato..Of the total vector-borne illnesses found in the United States, Lyme disease is by far the most prominent and it accounts for more than 95% of the vector borne cases of illness in the country. Lyme disease has surpassed AIDS as one of the fastest growing infectious epidemics in our nation, with a cost to society measured at approximately $1 billion annually.

Reported Lyme disease cases in the US have more than doubled since the CDC began recording cases in 1991. In 2007, 27,444 cases of Lyme disease were reported to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, a 40% increase from 2006!


Tick-borne Lyme disease used to show up in a little fringe of the coastal northeast United States. A bad disease, but in small terrain. Small numbers. Well, look again. Lyme disease is spreading far and wide.

Across Pennsylvania, into Ohio, southwest Michigan, northern Illinois. Heavy in Wisconsin, in Minnesota, showing up in North Dakota, even California. Look south and it’s big in New Jersey, Maryland, northern Virginia. And creeping beyond. It’s a story of ticks and deer and foxes and coyotes and birds. And pain.

The source of many bites is the deer tick, which often resides on animals in forests, the doctors said. The experts recommend that when going into the woods, individuals should travel in the middle of the day and be careful to stay on paths and avoid animal trails.

Larval and nymphal deer ticks often hide in shady, moist ground litter, but adults can often be found above the ground clinging to tall grass, brush, and shrubs. They also inhabit lawns and gardens, especially at the edges of woodlands and around old stone walls where deer and white-footed mice, the ticks' preferred hosts, thrive. Within the endemic range of B. burgdorferi (the spirochete that infects the deer tick and causes LD), no natural, vegetated area can be considered completely free of infected ticks.

Deer ticks cannot jump or fly, and do not drop from above onto a passing animal. Potential hosts (which include all wild birds and mammals, domestic animals, and humans) acquire ticks only by direct contact with them. Once a tick latches onto human skin it generally climbs upward until it reaches a protected or creased area, often the back of the knee, groin, navel, armpit, ears, or nape of the neck. It then begins the process of inserting its mouthparts into the skin until it reaches the blood supply.

In tick-infested areas, the best precaution against LD is to avoid contact with soil, leaf litter and vegetation as much as possible. However, if you garden, hike, camp, hunt, work outdoors or otherwise spend time in woods, brush or overgrown fields, you should use a combination of precautions to dramatically reduce your chances of getting Lyme disease.

Precautions:

Experts also say that people entering the woods should wear protective clothing that covers their skin as well as boots and shoes. Shorts and sandals should be avoided.


When returning from the outdoors, people should check their bodies for clinging insects. Since some ticks that aren’t engorged are very small, use a mirror to check for insects or seek assistance from someone. Any clothes that were worn should be placed in the dryer for at least five minutes on high heat to kill any deer ticks that may have found their way onto the fabric.


Of the repellents that can keep ticks away, DEET is the most commonly recommended.


Property owners also should keep their land drained and dry if possible. The number of rodents should be controlled and deer presence should be limited with fences and deer-resistant plantings.


Lyme disease has many more symptoms than listed below but this is a summary of the major symptoms:

Overall: 
> After experiencing the bite or a flu-like episode, you started having one health problem after another or have not felt completely well since. 
>  You appear deceptively well, even when in intense pain and feeling terribly unwell. 
>  Your symptoms wax and wane, change, come and go. 
>  Some symptoms stay, some come and go, some are dramatic and others merely annoying. 
>  You find yourself describing your symptoms as weird or bizarre. 
>  All these symptoms started after a certain month, season or incident. 
>  You have persistent malaise, with periods of worsening symptoms, often cyclical, repeating about every four weeks. 
>  Whenever you are stressed your pain rises to a higher level. 
>  Whenever you fall, injure, or cut yourself - the injury and its associated pain lingers an exaggerated amount of time. 
>  Alcohol reacts on you. 
>  Your head is unclear, can't remember, thinking is off... 
>  Your medical tests have all turned up negative. 
>  Your MD insinuates your symptoms are not real.  
>  You know that something about your health is definitely not right . 


Body Temperature Disturbances 
> Body temperature feels unregulated 
> Can’t stand hot or cold temperatures. 
> Body temperature below 37oC ( 98.6°F)  
> Ice cold body parts and patches anywhere on body that do not match environment. 
> Unexplained sudden over-heating throughout body. 
> Unexplained chills (difficulty getting warmed up) 
> When sleeping: Night sweats (drenching) or intense body heat. 
> Unexplained sweats/fevers/feeling very hot, day and night. 
> Unexplained fevers (high or low grade) Recurrent episodes of fever 


Cognitive Disturbances 
> Brain fog; Like a cloud reducing your clarity of mind. 
>Brain block when trying to focus. Mimics Brain injury 
> Difficulty in thinking and processing information. 
> Difficulty reading, especially for enjoyment.  
> Difficulty in planning and organizing 
> Difficulty in problem solving/decision-making 
> Difficulty to see or take in the whole picture. 
> Difficulty with multi-tasking. 
> Difficulty to think quickly and to respond quickly. 
> Difficulty with judgment; Saying something without processing it correctly. Inability to think it through and its consequences. 
> Difficulty making decisions. 
> Difficulty estimating/figuring time. 
> Difficulty in tracking objects in motion. 
> Difficulty with calculations. (Inability to hold numbers in head or to add/subtract on the spur of the moment.) 
> Difficulty getting started or completing a project. 
> Slow processing of information 
> Difficulty in performing sequential tasks. 
> Difficulty learning new tasks 
> Suddenly forgetting how to perform routine tasks and remembering how, much later. 
> Problems with letter or number reversals (Mimics Dyslexia) 
> Intermittent spelling and writing difficulty. 
> Difficulty maintaining focus or concentrating.  
> Easily distracted. 
> Racing thoughts. Impulsive. Mimics schizophrenia 
> Losses in fields of attention/executive functions such as inability to maintain divided or sustained attention and memory  
> Inattention: distractibility, easily sidetracked, trouble staying focused, trouble sitting still.  
> Talking a lot, in constant motion, hyperactive. Mimics ADD/ADHD- Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder  
> Impulsivity:  impatient, interrupts others, saying something without thinking first. 
> Interrupting others in mid conversation or contributing to the conversation long after it is finished. Misspeaking.  
> Difficulty to keep up to a conversation or to understand what is being said. Auditory processing problems. Disrupted participation in conversation. 
> Difficulty in expressing ones self. Difficulty in word finding. Speech comes out as stammering, slurred, slow, hesitating. Word search, name block. Speech errors, wrong word comes out. Halting speech. 
> Emotional and expressive incontinence. 
> Slow processing, recalling, or remembering of information or what was read. 
> Difficulty with basics, social, and day to day functioning. 
> Declining performance in school or work. 
> Feeling a significant decline in intellectual acuity. 
> Feeling a loss of competence. 
> Intermittent distorted memory. Short/long term memory lapses. Forgetfulness, poor or loss of  short term memory.  Impaired memory functions (lost items, missed appointments, retold stories) Dementias 
> Tendency to get geographically disorientated; suddenly forgetting where a familiar destination is. Getting lost. Going to the wrong place. Mimics Alzheimer Disease. 
> Progressive decline in cognitive abilities over the years. Drop in measurable IQ Infection 


Dental Disturbances 
> Difficulty chewing, pain in teeth,  
> Dental problems; chronic gingivitis, receding  gums, thinning enamel. 
> Sudden pain within each tooth 
> Painful gums 
> Painful/stiff jaw, mimics TMJ 


Digestive System Disturbances 
(Borreliosis-caused Gut Palsy) Nerves sending incorrect messages to digestive system. Gastrointestinal tract paralysis and related abnormalities can occur anywhere along the entire length of the tract.  
>Paralysis or partial paralysis of the tongue, gag reflex, esophagus, stomach, and nearby organs, small and/or large intestines. 
> Change in smell/taste. 
> Difficulty chewing, swallowing, or speaking. 
> Disturbances of tongue, gag reflex, numbness. 
> Frequent heartburn  
> Gastroesophageal reflux or Rumination Disorder (which often leads to feeling starved and then over-eating) 
> Eating disorders; under or over-eating.  
> Not knowing when you are hungry or full. 
> Unexplained weight gain or weight loss. 
> Stomach pain 
> Upset stomach 
> Nausea, vomiting. 
> Belly pain, abdominal cramps, intestinal spasms 
> Bloated belly. 
> Unusual constipation: putty like/unresponsive to laxatives. 
>(Stops for many days and suddenly restarts for no particular reason) Intestinal pseudo-obstruction. 
> Unexplained diarrhea with sometimes blood in runny stools. Mimics Irritable Bowel Syndrome. 
> Colitis (inflammation of intestine) Mimics Crohn’s disease 
> Reluctance to go to school/work /going out to eat because of bouts of diarrhea. 
> During night, rectal muscle/bowel cramping giving an urge to defecate. Proctalgia fugax 
> Fecal soiling in children after being trained. 
> Mild Liver function abnormalities; liver infection, inflammation, enlargement, elevated enzymes, (spirochaeta hepatitis) 
> Enlarged spleen, 
> Gallbladder and bile duct disturbances 
> Disturbances of any part of the intestines. 
> Intestinal Microbial Flora imbalance 
> Heightened response to alcohol, sweets or caffeine 


Ears and Hearing Disturbances 
Eight nerve  
> High pitched whining, buzzing, clicking, ringing, buzzing, hissing, humming, ticking, whistling, roaring, beeping or a "whooshing" sound, as of wind or waves, or other sound in one or  both ears.Tinnitius 
> Pain in ear(s) with no medical cause. 
> Sound sensitivity (Some noises causes extreme irritability) 
> Decreased hearing in one or both ears. Hearing loss. Plugged ears. 
> Ears popping


Treatment:

Early treatment of LD (within the first few weeks after initial infection) is straightforward and almost always results in a full cure. Treatment begun after the first three weeks will also likely provide a cure, but the cure rate decreases the longer treatment is delayed.

Doxycycline, amoxicillin and ceftin are the three oral antibiotics most highly recommended for treatment of all but a few symptoms of LD. A recent study of Lyme arthritis in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that a four-week course of oral doxycycline is just as effective in treating late LD, and much less expensive, than a similar course of intravenous Ceftriaxone (Rocephin) unless neurological or severe cardiac abnormalities are present. If these symptoms are present, the study recommends immediate intravenous (IV) treatment.

Treatment of late-Lyme patients can be more complicated. Usually LD in its later stages can be treated effectively, but individual variation in the rate of disease progression and response to treatment may, in some cases, render standard antibiotic treatment regimens ineffective. In a small percentage of late-Lyme patients, the disease may persist for many months or even years. These patients will experience slow improvement and resolution of their persisting symptoms following oral or IV treatment that eliminated the infection.

Although treatment approaches for patients with late-stage LD have become a matter of considerable debate, many physicians and the Infectious Disease Society of America recognize that, in some cases, several courses of either oral or IV (depending on the symptoms presented) antibiotic treatment may be indicated. However, long-term IV treatment courses (longer than the recommended 4-6 weeks) are not usually advised due to adverse side effects. While there is some speculation that long-term courses may be more effective than the recommended 4-6 weeks, there is currently no scientific evidence to support this assertion. Click here for an article from the New England Journal of Medicine which presents clinical recommendations in the treatment and prevention of early Lyme disease.

For more details on Lyme disease Visit the CDC Website

Trout Take Flight – to New Hampshire's Remote Ponds

CONCORD, N.H. – Trout literally took flight this month, as the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department delivered fingerling fish to some of the state's most remote waters. Every year in June, a helicopter hired by Fish and Game stocks remote ponds from Sunapee to Pittsburg. During this one-day event, which this year took place on June 13, some 48 remote New Hampshire ponds were stocked with brook trout fingerlings raised in Fish and Game's New Hampton Hatchery.

The stocking of remote ponds in the backcountry of New Hampshire provides a unique opportunity for anglers seeking a true wilderness experience. While the trout delivered during the current year by air are small, those stocked last June should have reached 5-6 inches in most areas, and 2-year-old fish may reach 12 inches or better.

"It’s time to grab your Float Tube, a light-weight fly rod and rubber boots and pack a lunch for a day on a remote pond," said Fish and Game Hatcheries Supervisor Jason Smith. "Brook trout that were stocked last year should be well into their summer diets of mayflies. Evening trips in late June and early July can private dry fly enthusiasts one last great opportunity for catching fish on the surface. As we get into July, even these high elevation ponds will heat up enough to where many of the trout will seek thermal refuge in the deeper waters.”

Serene, remote ponds not only produce beautiful brook trout with high catch rates, but also give the outdoor enthusiast an opportunity for wildlife viewing, hiking, camping or just simple solitude. Many of these remote ponds are located off popular hiking trails. As with any hiking excursion, be sure to follow hiking safety guidelines (visit http://www.hikesafe.com).

A few of these remote ponds are designated as “fly fishing only,” so be sure to check the regulations prior to your trip. For the list of remote ponds that are stocked, check the Fish and Game website at http://www.fishnh.com/Fishing/trout_aerial.html.

The aerial trout stocking program is made possible through fishing license sales and with assistance from the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hampshire. To contribute to this effort, visit http://www.nhwildlifefoundation.org and designate your donation for aerial trout stocking.

For an exciting, in-depth look at the experience of aerial stocking, check out an Associated Press video from this year's helicopter trip at http://youtu.be/fFhnlvoCE08
and the accompanying story as it appeared in today’s Concord Monitor: http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/337527/state-uses-helicopters-to-stock-lakes-ponds.

- ### -

68-year-old woman set to hike Appalachian Trail

CHATTANOOGA (WRCB) -- What do you do when you're retired, living the dream, and about to turn 69? If you're Elaine Gregory-Duty, you set out to hike the entire Appalachian Trail!

Age, gender, none of it matters to Elaine. She made this a goal more than three decades ago, and nothing is going to stop her.

"There is life to be lived and I'm not one to sit down," Elaine Gregory-Duty says. "My grandmother died in her 80s and she walked two miles a day every day."

At 68, Elaine will up her grandmothers ante, as she plans to hike 7-16 miles a day for five months on the Appalachian Trail. That's 2,182 miles from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Northern Maine, crossing 14 states.

One could only ask, why?






"Because it's there and I love the outdoors," Elaine says. "First time I stepped foot on it in 1977 in October, they said it went from Georgia to Maine, that was my goal."

Since 1977, Elaine has been training and has hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to the Pennsylvania border in intervals.

She's hiked parts of Maine and New Hampshire. On March 27, she'll set out to tame the entire beast in one shot.

Family members are giving their full support.

"I'm not worried about her, I'm proud and anxious," says Linda A. Gregory-Duty, Elaine's life-partner. "I want the five months to already be here, so she's back home. But, this is her dream and I'm glad her dream is coming to fruition."

One could also only ask, will there be a time when you say what on earth did I get myself into?

After laughing a bit Elaine says, "There are days that come up, and I've had a few days like that myself. You just have to look and say, 'you had a goal in mind, finish it'. It's on the bucket list let's go."

Elaine will turn 69 three days after she starts. She hopes this motivates anyone her age to get out and pursue something because as she says, "it's never too late."

Her family will meet up with her at checkpoints, and they'll send us pictures along the way.

Story shared from: http://www.wrcbtv.com

Going Hiking? Be Prepared!

Always being mindful of responsible, safe hiking practices is one of the best New Year's

resolutions that we can think of. Check out this new video from the New Hampshire 

Outdoor Council, highlighting hikeSafe.

"hikeSafe: It's your responsibility" highlights the experiences of three avid hikers and the 

lessons they have learned in the mountains of New Hampshire. Though the mountains are 

beautiful -- and hiking can be incredibly fun -- the mountains must also be respected, and 

hiking must be approached with full understanding of its demands. These hikers share 


their knowledge, sometimes earned through discomfort and even danger. Whether lost 


alone on a wilderness trail, buffeted by icy ridge-top gales, or forced to spend an 


unplanned night out by a raging river, the hikers speak earnestly and candidly so that 


others may benefit. The hikers stress the hikeSafe responsibility code, which encourages 


outdoor enthusiasts to be fully prepared for the challenges of the outdoors.

Preparing for your hike:

There are twelve "must have" items when you go for hike, even if it is in familiar territory and only for a short time in perfect weather.  There are another ten optional items that you should carry when you are hiking.  No equipment list is perfect.  Keep in mind that if you are going for a day hike in the Painted Desert in July, your needs will be much different then going on a day hike in the Garden of The Gods State Park, In Colorado, or Acadia National Park in Maine.

The twelve "must have" items should be carried at all times.  It may seem ridiculous to carry rain gear in a desert, but if that sudden shower were to come up, you will be glad to have it.  You may have hiked an area one-hundred times and know it like the back of your hand -- but find out about an unexpected trail closure, and you will be wishing you had a map.

Naturally you will also need a pack to carry your equipment in.  A well thought out packing and equipping job can allow the hiker to hold the twelve essentials in a small fanny pack.  If you are hiking in special conditions like cold weather (which will require bulkier gear) then a day pack may be required.  High quality day packs can be had for $50 to $75.  Generally if you spend less than that on a day pack, you are risking getting a lower quality product, or worse one that beats you to death when hiking.

Number one, a plan.  You should never hike without a plan.  You should plan your route, check the local weather, get trail conditions, and notify a friend, relative, neighbor, or ranger of your plans.  If there are trailhead registers on the trail you should use them.  Try to stick to your plan.

Number two, a map.  Even if you have hiked a trail a hundred times, you should carry a map.  Unexpected trail closures, an injury requiring a shorter route, bad weather, or animal encounter can all result in a sudden change of plans.  Having a map assists in this greatly.  You don't have to carry topographical maps for a regular day hike.  Practically every state and national park provides hiking maps of trails and features for free or a nominal fee.  Some of the best maps I have ever used are provided at most trail-heads and parking lots, and they are some of the most low tech maps you will ever use.

Number three, a compass.  Carrying a compass with you is not enough, you need to know how to use it properly.  Adjustments for declination, field interference, the metal on your equipment, and poor handling can make a compass a dangerous tool to use.  You should find a good orienteering class and take it to learn about using a compass in the field.  If you do not have experience with a compass, you should stay away from lensatic models (ones with a flip up view finder) until you have more experience, and further they don't work very well when overlaid on a map.

Number four, a pocket knife.  I am partial to the Swiss Army style knives, but almost any kind of pocket knife will do.  You should keep your blade length around three inches and the knife should have a locking blade.  A pocket knife can have a million uses in the field as the need arises.  You should carry your pocket knife on your person, and not in your pack.

Number five, a whistle.  A good survival whistle is essential to carry when hiking.  The sound a whistle makes travels much further then your voice ever could in an emergency situation.  When walking through bear country you can blow on it to alert the bears that you are passing through.  You can also use it to communicate with others in your group, say some one is too far ahead, or falling behind.  A whistle can be the best $2.00 to $7.00 piece of hiking safety equipment you will spend.  You should always carry your whistle around your neck, and not in your pack.

Number six, a personal first aid kit.  A good first aid kit does not have to be large, elaborate, or expensive.  The basic kit should include antiseptic wipes, sting relief, burn cream, band-aids of various types and sizes, cotton balls, sterile pads, gauze, tape, pain reliever (a.k.a. aspirin or Tylenol), antacid (tablets), Benadryl (tablets), mole skin (for blisters), one pair of latex gloves, and tweezers.
 
If you are hiking in an area with a large poisonous snake population and will be more than one hour away from help you should also carry a basic snake bite kit but only after receiving proper instruction on it's use.  A snake bite kit in the wrong hands can cause more damage then the actual bite.
 
Oral Benadryl should be carried for insect bites or stings.  If yourself or a person in your party has never had an insect sting before (a.k.a. bee, wasp, hornet) the Benadryl can be administered to slow down an allergic reaction, but medical attention should be sought out at the first sign of a severe reaction.

Number seven, a flashlight with spare batteries.  The large lantern style flashlight has been replaced by micro flashlights with alloy skins, xenon bulbs, and a battery life of eight hours on two AA batteries.  You should carry a flashlight with you regardless of the time of day your are hiking or your plans.  A severe storm can require you to stop while you wait for it to pass.  What would you do if night fell and you did not have any light.  It is also essential to carry spare batteries that are known to be fresh.  A good, reliable, compact, waterproof flashlight can be purchased for under $20.

Number eight, waterproof matches.  Carrying waterproof matches is done to expect the unexpected.  If you become lost, delayed, or injured, a day hike can turn into an overnight stay in the wilderness.  Accidentally fall into an icy river, or get pelted by an unexpected rain storm, your ability to make a fire to warm up may mean the difference between life and death.  Genuine waterproof matches should be carried.  If you transfer your matches to a match holder, be sure that you have a surface to strike the match on if a special surface is required.  A cigarette lighter is not a good substitute for matches, but can be carried as an alternative source of flame.  If you want to feel truly prepared, you can carry a flint and steel kit with some cotton and cork for fire starting as a third backup.

Number nine, emergency rain gear.  Your equipment does not have to be elaborate.  A simple poncho left in it's store packaging is more than adequate for most regions of North America for three season hiking.  If you are hiking at high altitude, in an area that is prone to rain a lot (the Northwestern United States, New England coast, Northwestern Colorado, Southeastern United States in the spring and summer) or where the temperature will be below 60 degrees, more adequate rain gear should be carried.  If you are caught in a sudden shower you should cover up in your poncho, and wait for it to pass.  Make sure you are not standing in a dry riverbed or wash while waiting.  If you are caught in a thunderstorm you should move away from high ground and tall objects (like trees) immediately.  Find a low spot, ravine, or thin place in the woods, cover up with your poncho, stay low and wait for it to pass.

Number ten, insect repellent and/or sunscreen.  The joy of hiking, fresh air, scenic vistas, ticks, chiggers, mosquitoes, and sunburn.  Insect repellant and sunscreen are vital to carry when hiking.
 
When using insect repellant it is best to treat your clothing with a spray before entering the field, and to use a cream based repellant on any exposed skin upon entering the field.  Cream based repellants pack better and take up less room.  A variety that contains anywhere from 20% to 35% DEET should be effective in most cases.  DEET masks carbon-dioxide which most biting insects use to detect their next victim.  DEET in high concentrations (a.k.a. 100%) and used over extended periods of time in large doses has been proven to cause medical side effects.  You should use insect repellant sparingly and if you are pregnant you should consult with your physician.
 
If you also use sunscreen, you should use a low scent/no scent variety.  The perfumes that are put into sunscreen will only attract insects, and worse may attract bears.  No Ad sunscreen which can be found at Wal-Mart is an excellent product for it's ability to protect, be waterproof, and have virtually no odor.  It also happens to be very inexpensive.
 
There are a number of combination products appearing on the market today that act both as sunscreen and as insect repellant.  Off brand is the most popular and these products work moderately well.  At the time of preparing this article, there was no independent data on the effectiveness of these combination products when compared to their stand alone counterparts.  Further, there is no real data on using separate sunscreen and insect repellant at the same time.  You should draw your own conclusions and use what works best for you.

Number eleven, water.  Water is essential when you are hiking.  For every two hours you plan to spend hiking you should carry at least one quart of water.  For a full day you should carry a gallon.  There are a number of solutions for carrying water.  Simple one quart water bottles can be found almost anywhere on the internet or in a store for just a couple of dollars.  Hydration systems, backpacks with a water bladder and a bite valve can also be used.  Camelbak makes a very popular hydration system that holds one-hundred ounces of water (about 3 quarts, 1 cup) that runs anywhere from $60 to $80.  These hydration systems offer many benefits but may complicate your ability to carry a pack.  You also need to keep in mind that your water supply will be the heaviest thing you carry on a day hike.  A gallon of water weighs close to nine pounds!

Number twelve, food.  Food is also essential when you are hiking.  Not only does eating food on the trail help keep your system balanced, it provides a cushion if there is an emergency.  Complex carbohydrates and proteins make the best food to carry.  Dried fruits, jerky, nuts, peanut butter, whole grain mini bagels, prepared energy bars, candy bars with a high protein content (nuts, peanut butter) and crackers make excellent field rations for a day hike.  A self opening single serving can of tuna, a mayo packet, and some creative mixing in a plastic bag can make for a compact and good meal.  Raisins and peanut butter on a bagel is also an excellent energy fix.  You should try to carry at least 2,000 calories worth of food when hiking.  Also, you should double pack your rations in plastic bags and remember to carry out all trash.  If you drop food on the ground by accident you should pick it up and pack it out.

Views from New Hampshire 1/2/12

Click on any photo for a larger view: