Last weekend, I went for a trail ride with Oscar, my host for this stay, and his friends who rushed over from the neighboring state of Washington.
We headed to a trail at the foot of Mount Hood, just over an hour's drive from Portland. The trail we had originally planned on was still covered in snow at the higher elevations and wasn't open yet, so we made a last-minute change to a trail in the next town over. Once you venture out into the suburbs, you're never short of places to ride—it’s like having an endless playground in your own backyard.
The trailhead serves as a starting point for several routes. Some people enjoy a pleasant hour-long descent, while others do loops that take them back out to a paved road halfway down, allowing them to climb back up to the summit. It goes without saying that the trails are impeccably maintained, which made for an incredible ride.
Unfortunately, I was so busy trying to keep up with the four of them as they dashed down the trail that I don't have any photos beyond this point... I'm definitely planning to challenge that original trail again soon.
For this ride, I brought along Trail Butter, which you might know from the hashtag #HungryPeopleAreFriends (腹減ったやつは大体友達), tucked into my pocket.
Trail Butter began at a farmers market in Portland in 2012. It was born from a recipe its founder, Jeff, came up with during his 14,000km bicycle journey from Germany to the U.S. Based on nut butters and coconut oil, they are blended with natural ingredients like chocolate and dried fruit. The current lineup consists of three flavors, and it has gained support from outdoorsy athletes—including some of America's leading trail runners—hikers, climbers, and fans of natural foods alike.
The light and compact 128g package, which fits easily in a jersey pocket or handlebar bag, packs a dense 760 kcal (roughly the equivalent of four rice balls). It provides more energy per gram compared to energy gels, making it an outstanding choice among the many performance foods available.
Made with all-natural, gluten-free ingredients without any processed additives, Trail Butter’s first impression is that it is delicious, smooth, and very easy to eat.
Dark Chocolate & Coffee
Cranberry & Sunflower
Maple & Sea Salt (Vegan)
You can choose from these three flavors. A unique feature not seen in previous performance foods is the punch-hole for a carabiner and a resealable lid, which lets you consume it as needed. Furthermore, due to the nature of the ingredients, it provides energy over a longer period rather than an immediate spike. This makes it incredibly valuable for long-duration activities like long-distance rides, brevets, camping tours, and trail riding, or even activities spanning several days. The fact that it stays good for about two months after opening is another big plus.
Since I was already in the U.S. when domestic sales started in Japan, I had actually thought I’d just buy some locally. Perhaps because the founders are so committed to providing quality, carefully selected ingredients, you can't just find it anywhere—I actually had a hard time tracking it down. In Japan, sales are limited to shops that deeply understand various outdoor activities. As a shop rooted in cycling, Circles is proud to carry it as well.
We have every flavor in stock at the shop, so why not pick some up to accompany your next weekend adventure?