One of the beauties of backpacking is the serendipity of unexpected discoveries. You round a bend in the trail to spot a herd of bighorn sheep. You stumble onto an off-trail swimming hole on a sweltering afternoon. A shooting star blazes across the sky when you get up to pee in the (aptly named) wee hours.
Or a shuttle driver named Buttons offers you a few packets of trail butter to try. Such was our good fortune when my nephew, niece, and I unloaded our gear from the back of Buttons’ pickup truck after she ferried us north from the long-term parking lot at Lees Ferry for a five-day hike through Utah’s Buckskin Gulch and Paria Canyon. “My boss makes these,” she said, handing over a half-dozen sleeves of Canyon Crack. “I think you might like them.”
Boy, did we ever. In 35 years of backpacking, adventure racing, and triathlon, I’ve probably consumed more than 7,000 packaged snacks—energy gels, gorps, jerky, and way too many bland bars—and few have excited my tastebuds like Canyon Crack. The three of us fought over our limited supply on that trip, and I quickly ordered more when I got home. Two months later, I’m still obsessed.
Canyon Crack comes in four flavors—Original Biscoff, Dark Chocolate Oreo, Espresso Biscotti, and Ginger Snap—with all-natural ingredients and honest-to-goodness real spices. (There are two savory flavors in the works as well.) We particularly liked the Ginger Snap, with its salty-sweet mix of coconut butter, peanut butter, and dark chocolate with cookie-like bits of crystallized ginger. Each flavor has its own crunchy surprise, which livens up the eating experience with more texture than your average nut butter.
There are four sizes to choose from: single sleeves ($3.20 for 1.2 oz.), squeeze pouches ($12 for 6 oz.), small jars ($16 for 12 oz.), and large jars ($20 for 16.9 oz.). The single sleeves slip neatly into a pocket for trail runs and rides, but the cost and packaging add up fast. I always felt like I was leaving some goodness in the sleeve, too; the slightly thicker texture and crunchy bits mean that the sleeves don’t empty as easily as standard squeeze packets. For multiday adventures, I’ll be going with the jars, which are also handy for spreading butter on a sandwich or slice of dried fruit.
In addition to flavor, these butters pack an above-average boost of long-lasting energy. Each single serving is 185 to 190 calories, about 20 to 35 percent more than standard gels, with 16 to 17g of fat, 13 to 14g of carbs, and 3 to 4g of protein. As with all nut butters, you’ll need a few large swigs of water to wash it down.
But back to serendipity and Canyon Crack’s homegrown origin story. Owner Tom Richman is a longtime Grand Canyon backpacking guide and shuttle operator (and Buttons’ boss) who started mixing his own trail butters 15 years ago after overdosing on off-the-shelf options. “I was looking for something with chocolate but less sugary than Nutella,” he told me. “And I wanted more fat for extended energy endurance. My brother and I thru-hiked the canyon in 2021, and we consumed a large jar every week. The high calorie-to-weight ratio really pays off when you have to pay close attention to every food decision when planning caches and re-supplies.”
Knowing these delicious snacks come from a hardworking career backpacker who sweated over the recipe for 15 years makes them taste even better.
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