By Taylor Bradford ’19
The smell of bacon crept out of the main cabin, ran across the field, and awaited me at the front steps of the women’s cabin. As I followed the aroma, I heard laughter, the clanging of pots and pans, and the sizzling of salt-cured pork.
The moment I stepped into the green tiled kitchen, I was greeted by a familiar smile. With coffee in one hand and a spatula in the other, Elizabeth Norcini was scrambling eggs and swapping stories with other staff members.
This is La Vida’s kitchen manager.
Elizabeth prepping pasta for the 20th Anniversary of Base Camp celebration meal.
Elizabeth knew she wanted to work for La Vida the moment she finished her participant trip back in 2012.
“I was hugging my Sherpa goodbye. I wanted to come back so badly and I told her that. She was like ‘Just work here,” Elizabeth explained. “I applied that year, so my freshmen year at Gordon, and I ended up coming back after that.”
Seven years later, Elizabeth has worked for La Vida’s Adirondack Expeditions in some capacity every summer since that inaugural trip.
“I feel so much care for this place because of how I have seen God use it and I want to be a good steward of this property and the people here,” said Elizabeth.
Abigail Foster ’16, Eleanor Ragon ’15 and Elizabeth served on Support Staff together in 2016.
The inaugural trip to Donnelly’s with ADK Summer Staff 2016.
With a handful of taste buds to feed, Elizabeth has found two things to be essential when preparing each meal: spices and creativity.
“I love seeing people bring spices to the table and then passing it down the table, or passing the spices around the campfire,” said Elizabeth. “The creativity that individuals get to have is really cool to see and also to get to see people sharing those ideas, getting excited to put a different spice or sauce on their meal.”
Currently working her second summer as kitchen manager, Elizabeth has seen a plethora of spices pass the kitchen table and has loved how passionate people are about their flavors and foods.
Elizabeth began counting on her fingers, “We have Old Bay. We have Cajun, Siracha, and Franks. The list goes on.”
Prepping White Chicken Chili ingredients for dinner.
Elizabeth has served the La Vida program as a Sherpa, Discovery Leader, Support Staff, Trip Food Manager, and Kitchen Manager. Throughout the years, amidst life’s transitions, base camp has become a place of growth and familiarity for Elizabeth.
“Base camp is a place where I can engage with challenge well and feel supported,” said Elizabeth. “I feel like I have grown so much in all of the roles that I have had up here. I am continually growing because of the challenges and the new responsibilities I am being given. I have seen how God has used it to shape me and change me.”
Replacing the MSR Whisperlite stoves for a grill and the kitchen sink for an industrial sanitization system (commonly referred to by the staff as the F-18) may have made cleaning and cooking a little easier, but Elizabeth hasn’t forgotten about the meals made on the trail.
Elizabeth and her Co-Sherpa James Irving ’16 teaching their La Vida patrol how to cook on trail.
“On trip, most of the meals taste awesome because you are so hungry and tired,” said Elizabeth. “But I also think that it is a time to pause. People can still have a lot of fun and also unwind by cooking, chopping, and sauteing an onion.”
Whether it is on the trail or in the kitchen, Elizabeth has facilitated a space for staff and students to have fun while learning about the gifts each one of them has to offer.
A resident of Beverly, MA, Elizabeth graduated from Gordon College in 2016 with a B.A. in Kinesiology. When she isn’t cooking up a storm in the backcountry of New York, Elizabeth is working for Harmeling Physical Therapy as a Physical Therapy Aide and Administrative Assistant.
Taylor Bradford’s first La Vida experience started as a Counselor in Training at our Adventure Camp. Since then she has been an Adventure Camp Counselor and Photographer, Adirondack Sherpa, Adventure Pursuits Facilitator, Discovery Apprentice and La Vida Intern. This summer she is the Gear Manager at the La Vida Base Camp. She graduated from Gordon College with a Communication Arts major in May 2019.