that one time i had to keep cooking potatoes to get into patagonia.
july 2025. edition #8
I just returned from 24 hours in Rocky Mountain National Park. I must admit, I thought my backpacking days were over once we had kids. It wasn’t until a friend invited me to join did I remember that there is no reason why so many of the things I used to love doing can’t still be part of this era of life.
Apart from spending a significant portion of the trip wondering if my 15 year old tent can stand up to pelting hail (it didn’t), the trip was a reminder of the beauty of slow, intentional movement, discovering new things about old friends, and the delicious taste of alpine water.
This edition includes an interview with Daniela U. who reflects upon how the outdoors are an equalizer for her and her son, and inspiration from a ripped Amy Tan, a critique on why Americans need to get over the exercising obsession, and a short film about three Latina snow athletes finding joy in authenticity and community.
"that one time i had to keep cooking potatoes to get into patagonia"
An interview with Daniela U.; based in Boulder, Colorado.
so tell me about that one time…
“After working for a few years, my husband Drew and I went on a year-long adventure to Patagonia and traveled the length of Chile and Argentina. It’s a very long border and you have to cross back and forth across the two countries because it’s pretty rugged.
The FDA equivalent in Chile, “SAG”, is very strict about food. At every border crossing they had someone inspect your car with a fine tooth comb. They didn’t want any agricultural products from outside the country. They would find little seeds and peanuts under my chair and make us throw everything away because we forgot this one little thing. It made us so angry. ‘Damn SAG!’
This one time we were waiting for a car ferry to take us across and we put all of our food in the back of our truck with this beautiful view of the snow capped Andes and turquoise lake and we decided to have fun with it. This became the infamous “Roadside Potatoes”. We had potatoes, onions, garlic and a bunch of random veggies and trimmings from leftovers. An avocado that was about to go bad. And merkén, a delicious smoky Chilean spice. They were delicious potatoes that were often rushed. A few of them would be crunchy on the inside, but we kept making the Roadside Potatoes at every crossing. SAG allowed us to bring cooked food so that was our hack.
After the trip I made a little cookbook with 10 recipes and illustrations, including Roadside Potatoes that I sent to friends.
how has your own upbringing influenced the way you enjoy the outdoors…
My first 12 years were in Colombia. The city I grew up in was nestled in an agricultural productive valley between the Cordillera Central and the Western Cordillera of the Andes. These are corridors of mega fauna, like mind blowing.
Not to add to the stereotype of security concerns, but when I was growing up there in the 90s, going out to the mountains to explore was not really something that most Colombians did. Certainly there have always been people exploring and adventuring throughout, but it wasn’t something that my family had access to due to poor trail infrastructure. But my uncle loved to go camping and fishing. It was counterculture to do that and I always admired him for it. My mom wouldn’t let him take me, but he did set up a tent in our backyard. I always dreamed of doing these things.
It wasn’t until I moved to Washington D.C. was I able to go on trails. Rock Creek Park was urban but felt like you were in the wild. I ended up doing this cool program that was my real launching point. I joined The Student Conservation Association's (SCA) Urban Conservation Corps program, which was designed for kids like me whose families couldn't easily take them outdoors. We trained for a year in trail maintenance in D.C., and then they shipped us off for a summer. I went to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan, camping for a month straight and not showering. My crew leaders were these super crunchy hippie types who taught us how to build trail structures, make skillet cookies, take baths in random places, and build a latrine.
It was a trial by fire. I was hooked and loved it. I got my first sleeping bag and hiking boots at 16, and felt a deep sense of belonging. Part of that was the work; it felt complementary to experience nature and contribute to it simultaneously. This ethic has stayed with me. Even when Drew and I settled in Patagonia, we immediately started working in the national park, building a fund for trail maintenance, back country toilets, and nurseries.
Drew's father was also one of the first cohorts in SCA, which was a sweet connection.
what do the outdoors as a family mean to you now…
I love how the outdoors acts as an equalizing ground for me and my son Lalo. You disconnect, and everyone is at the mercy of the same unpredictable, unknowable experience. You never know who is going to twist their ankle, or who is going to find the butterfly. I think it’s so important in a world where it’s easy to feel like you know everything and have complete control.
Going for a walk on a trail or by a river is my favorite way to connect with somebody. Your guard is down, your attention is different, and conversations flow in a deeper way than in a coffee shop. I even found this in my own experience with an outdoor psychotherapy practice; it's completely different.
With Lalo, I make a big point of being fully present, not using my phone unless it's for a quick picture. It allows us to enter a different deep time together, and I can literally see him changing, exploring, and asking questions. We've even had profound conversations, like when he first asked me about death after finding a deer bone on a hike. This space is my favorite way to engage with him. We bring special treats that we only eat on hikes, like gummies and marshmallows. You could call them bribes, but I see them as incentives for a lifelong love for the outdoors.
and your most memorable meals…
French onion soup on a backcountry ski trip in Colorado - We try to do an annual backcountry ski trip at the 10th Mountain Division Huts and every year we up the ante of what is the most absurd thing we can bring. One year the snow forecast was terrible and we decided to make French onion soup. We brought 10lbs of onions, 2lbs of butter. Gruyere and fresh bread. It was delicious, and also took many hours to make on a wood fired stove at elevation.
Nepalese food on the Annapurna Circuit - Every breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with chai and ginger tea was delicious. A little steamed greens, lentils and rice. It just hit the spot.
Watermelon - I love fresh fruit, but watermelon in particular. This one time after an excruciating hike I ate an entire watermelon. So now I’ll always pack fresh fruit with me. Sometimes I’ll even double bag them so that the outer bag has ice. The watermelon needs to be cold. Mango too. But no bananas. Absolutely not. Gross, it’s mushy. I need a good tropical vibe.”
things i can’t stop thinking about…
author amy tan, strength training and birding aficionado
Amy Tan, the esteemed author of The Joy Lucy Club and The Backyard Bird Chronicles, has been sharing on Instagram highlights ranging from backpacking in Utah in 1974 to her current day exercise regiment, including “lifting 12-ounce binoculars 50 times a day, to strengthen hope and gratitude”.
‘we are thinking about fitness all wrong’
Recommended by Daniela U., Cat Zhang for The Cut builds a compelling case for why we need to reframe our relationship to movement.
outlier, the film series
Helmed by the indomitable storyteller, athlete, organizer and duckling mom, Dani Reyes-Acosta’s latest film series OUTLIER COMMON is a joy packed and delicious story of three badass Latina athletes. Beyond the typical ‘stoke’ film, this film digs into their lives, and how they explore all of their passions in a way that feels authentic to who they are. Sign up here to learn more about upcoming community screenings.
