Keeping Up With the Guys on a Snowmobile

Amanda Tutone stands out among the packs of snowmobilers in the Colorado Rockies. The petite 27-year-old is usually dressed head to toe in hot pink. She often has her Pomeranian, Moose, balanced on her lap. And Ms. Tutone is often the sole woman snowmobiling.

Matt Nager

Amanda Tutone steers her 460-pound snowmobile at speeds of up to 80 miles per hour, near her home in Tabernash, Colo.

"I'm used to being the only girl in the kitchen so it doesn't bother me," she says. "Riding with guys makes me a better rider. I push myself to keep up."

Ms. Tutone is the pastry chef at Devil's Thumb Ranch in Tabernash, Colo. When she isn't baking brioche she is out on her snowmobile. She describes snowmobiling as a combination of jet skiing and four wheeling.

"When you jet ski you have to watch for waves. With snowmobiling, your terrain changes as you ride from hard-packed snow to powder. And just like four wheeling, you can ride on one side, or in this case, on one ski," she says.

At 120 pounds, Ms. Tutone steers her 430-pound vehicle at speeds of up to 80 miles per hour. "Because the snow is like sugar in Colorado you have to stand up out of your seat and really throw your weight around to be in control," she says. "I'm always sore the next day."

In a good season, Ms. Tutone can snowmobile from late October through early June. "I aim to get in 2,000 miles a season," she says. "This winter I've only logged 250 because there's no snow."

Ms. Tutone usually goes on one all-day ride on the weekend and about three two-to-four-hour rides during the week.

Matt Nager

Her workout includes riding, running and weightlifting.

The Workout

Ms. Tutone says keeping in good cardiovascular shape is essential when living at an altitude of 8,780 feet. "Sometimes we ride as high as 11,500 feet above sea level and I'm really huffing," she says.

Ms. Tutone loves to put on her iPod, lace up her trail-running shoes, and get lost running in the woods. "Sometimes I'll be out there for two hours," she says.

She also mixes in a day or two of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at an easy pace.

Before the snow falls, she's in the gym five days a week. "I focus on shoulders, back and legs," she says. "Those are the major muscles I'm using when I'm on the snowmobile."

She spends 30 to 40 minutes on the elliptical machine until she gets a burn in her glutes and thighs. She uses free weights to perform exercises like back extensions and shoulder press.

Ms. Tutone says some days her time in the kitchen cancels out the need to hit the gym. "I'm on my feet all day and lifting 30-pound bags of flour," she says.

The Diet

Most days Ms. Tutone only eats one meal a day. "I know I should be healthier, but when I'm in the kitchen I pick," she says. "I made chocolate truffles with crushed pretzel the other day and I ate a couple and I might have a bite of a pie."

Ms. Tutone recently started to eat nonfat Greek yogurt in the mornings. "It's made a world of difference in my digestive system."

She cooks dinner every night for her boyfriend. "I'm Italian so I'll make us homemade pasta and we eat a lot of game like grilled elk."

Her splurge is a post-ride beer.

Gear & Cost

Ms. Tutone works one day a week at Grand Adventures, a snowmobile touring company in Winter Park, Colo. "I do it because I get discounts on equipment and gear," she says.

She buys KLIM Technical Riding Gear. "It's really expensive, but it's the best. I can lie in the snow and I don't feel the cold," she says.

Gloves cost anywhere from $40 to $140, while a jacket and snow pants can cost $330 a piece. Helmets cost between $125 and $300. Ms. Tutone wears a ski mask underneath to keep her head and face warm. "It also keeps my hair nice," she says.

Her new Polaris snowmobile retails for around $12,000.

Tip

"Never ride alone. The only time I go out alone is when I know there is full 3G service and one of my buddies could be up to me in five minutes if I get into trouble."

The Playlist

"I'm a huge metal fan, but when I trail run I find dub stuff [a subgenre of reggae] makes me run faster. My favorite bands are Type O Negative and the old Fear Factory."

Apple Olive Oil Cake

Many people think a healthy diet doesn't include desserts, but pastry chef Amanda Tutone is a firm believer in what she calls "smart indulgence." This recipe for apple olive oil cake is dairy-free and lower in fat than most cakes because it doesn't use butter. "You can substitute half of the flour with whole wheat flour to be extra healthy," says Ms. Tutone.

She suggests filling the center with applesauce before serving. This recipe makes two 8-inch cakes or one Bundt cake:

3 cups flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

3-4 apples, peeled and chopped (about 3-4 cups)

1½ cup olive oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup apple cider

Chef Amanda Tutone at work

Sift together dry ingredients. Toss a few tablespoons of the dry mixture in with the apples, set aside.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a whisk, beat together oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and cider until smooth.

Add dry ingredients all at once until just combined and then fold in apples.

Split batter between two greased and lined pans or one greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes for the cake pans or 70 minutes for the Bundt cake or until a cake tester comes out clean.

—Jen Murphy