BASECAMP CUISINE

CATTAILS

Reminiscent of a corn dog, cattails are prominent in marshy areas and wetlands. Many different parts of the plant may be consumed. The roots can be baked, boiled or grilled, and are best consumed in a similar manner to artichoke leaves. The stalks are also edible and can be eaten as is or cooked. The pollen is also high in protein and works well as a flour substitute.

Prior to harvesting cattails, make sure that the water source surrounding the plant is clean and free of pesticides. PRICKLY PEAR

A staple in many Mexican dishes, prickly pear is used both for its fruits as well as its pads, also called “nopales.” The cactus fruit is sweet and can be eaten right from the plant. Nopales can either be eaten cooked or raw, and is best harvested first thing in the morning to prevent bitterness. When handling the cactus pads, make sure to wear thick gloves to prevent getting poked by the spines. Use a knife to scrape off the spines and peel off the skin.

WILD ONION

Wild onion grows in abundance, offering many different species of the plant across the Southwest. These edible plants are found in the same regions of piñon-juniper forests, the subalpine, foothills, woodlands and meadows. When identifying wild onion, look for an underground bulb and the signature onion scent. This is crucial in identifying wild onions, as the absence of the unmistakable scent could result in the discovery of a different plant that is potentially non-edible and toxic. Wild onion can be eaten either raw or cooked, with both the bulb and the stem providing nourishment.

PIÑON PINE

The piñon pine is best known for its seeds, which produce a mild and sweet buttery flavor. These seeds contain numerous vitamins, antioxidants and minerals, and are also high in mono-unsaturated fatty acids (good for lowering LDL, or “bad” cholesterol). Enjoy them by themselves, or take them home and use them in a pesto. Piñon seeds have been harvested by many Indigenous tribes in the area for thousands of years.

Erica Nelson

Erica Nelson casts her line into the Taylor River near Crested Butte, Colorado. photo by Ryan Duclos Based in Colorado, this Southwest angler is an outdoor industry pioneer on and off the water for diversity, equity and inclusion

BY MORGAN TILTON

Amidafternoon gust from the west pushed the clouds across the sky. Goosebumps rolled across my neck as I stood on a rock inches above the flowing surface of the Taylor River clumsily casting my fly rod. My friend, Erica Nelson, was teaching me how to fly fish in Taylor River State Wildlife Area, 30 miles southeast of where we live in the ancestral Ute Territory of Crested Butte, Colorado. “Toss it like you mean it! But not too fast,” Nelson reminded me — right before the two flies caught the tippet and my semi-fluid overhead cast whipped through the air, forging a giant ball of knots. “Now you’re fishing!” Nelson laughed. Five years earlier, she had taught herself how to fly fish.

Today, she’s an ambassador for Brown Folks Fishing (BFF), a nationwide organization of anglers led by Black, Indigenous and other people of color.

Founded by filmmaker Tracy Nguyen-Chung, the group’s mission is to expand access to fishing, cultivate community and teach conservation through the sport. Nelson is also a diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) consultant and professional river guide. Basically, Nelson is a top-notch teacher full of compassion and humor. As I stood there struggling with my line, Nelson reminded me that 90% of fly fishing is tying and retying knots or getting them unstuck.

A small fraction of the sport is actually spent reeling in a catch — unless you’re Nelson. I looked over as she tugged her line. While holding tension on the rod, she seamlessly unclipped her fishing net off her hip belt and clutched it beneath her left arm. In 60 seconds, a shimmery brown trout idled inside the net: her third catch that day.

Nelson’s outdoor prowess is well-earned. The 36-year-old grew up in Kirtland, New Mexico, 9 miles west of Farmington. Before following her dreams as an outdoor leader, she worked as the room operations manager for Marriott Hotels in Portland, Oregon, for five years. In 2014, she quit the corporate path to become a river guide.

Nelson described her fear of water, and how she immersed herself into the world of rivers to overcome her fears in order to pursue her personal goals.

“I went to guide school, learned how to respect whitewater, how to read it and how to work with it,” said Nelson, who guided Class III-IV rapids on the American River, one of the highest commercially-rafted rivers in the country.

Between guiding, she served as an assistant camp director at Bear Valley Resort summer camps to face her second fear. “I didn’t know how to be around kids and wanted to get better,” she said. To further solidify her career path, Nelson completed a major in psychology and minor in outdoor leadership at Sierra Nevada University.

After finishing her degree, in 2016, Nelson was hired by her number one choice: National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), a nonprofit global wilderness school that provides survival and recreation skills plus leadership training through hands-on outdoor courses. She joined the team as