edible notables
TEENS FOR TRAILS
Summer program incorporates nutritious meals.
WRITTEN BY PAUL HOPPE
PHOTO COURTESY OF SIERRA BUTTES TRAIL STEWARDSHIP
Bluebird skies. Happy trout. School’s out. Now what? Time to start blazing the fantastic trails of the high Sierra, hiking or mountain biking the artfully bermed hairpins, climbing up and down rock-cut steps, rolling over log piles, and teetering across plank bridges, all while soaking in breathtaking scenery. But have you ever wondered who maintains the trails?
Meet the student trail crew of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship program. Ten lucky youths, ages 15 to 17, earn money while making trails passable, fun, and safe. Supervised by two adult mentors, they live and work in the outdoors for eight weeks, learning teamwork, “leave-no-trace” living, wilderness first aid, and CPR. They also move rocks, design drainage ditches, and learn to use a major-league crosscut saw.
And they cook and prepare meals for each other. These meals aren’t hotdogs and burgers cooked against a rock. No, these meals are created by professional nutritionist Heather Williams who uses a specific formula to design meals that cater to teens who are burning up to 5,000 calories per day. Soda and M&M’s won’t cut it for this crew. Williams focuses on proper hydration and smart, nutritious choices. She uses local produce, and blends what’s best for teen energy needs with the kinds of foods teens favor. Does your child know how to make tabbouleh, or a peach salad crafted with the juiciest fresh peaches? How about a pesto veggie pasta or a tangy bean salad? These youths do.
Their appreciation of the program and the food go hand in hand.
“It changed my life around,” says Lathecia Watson, a participant of the student crew program last year. “It opened up the world to me … [the mentors] let us figure out solutions [to trail-building obstacles].”
Watson says her favorite meal during the program was tortellini with cherry tomatoes and a zesty Italian vinaigrette.
This program has as big an impact on the trail makers as it does on the trailblazers. Next time you’re doing that Cheryl Strayed (from the memoir and movie Wild) day hike along the Pacific Crest Trail and you can’t help but admire the neatly cut rock steps, don’t forget to tip your cap to the youths of SBTS’ student crew.
Writer Paul Hoppe survived the Downieville Downhill eating nothing but fear, and is the author of The Curse of Van Gogh.
EXTRAS
For details on Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and the student trail crew, as well as any wilderness nutrition ideas, call Tara Stone at 530-545-2580 or visit http://www.Sierratrails.org/projects/student-trail-crew Download a student crew sample menu at http://www.Sierratrails.org/storrie-student-crew-sample-menu
