Surfers and trail mix? Well, yea man. Both Hadley Fruit Orchards and Harmony Foods (California growers) claim that trail mix was first invented in 1968 by two California surfers who blended peanuts and raisins together for an energy snack. But trail mixed is mentioned twice in Jack Kerouac’s 1958 novel “The Dharma Bums”.. Who really knows? Enjoy it though! READ MORE