Pie Iron Pizzas are a Fun Way to Get Kids Involved in Outdoor Cooking

An important component of getting children involved in the outdoor cooking process is making it fun. We learned this one at Cub Scout Day Camp a few years back, and we've found it to be a really fun and easy before dinner snack around the campfire even now that the boys are older.

What You'll Need

The ingredients and tools for this one are simple:

• A pie iron (or one for each kid if you can)
• A tube of ready-made biscuit dough (the smaller variety, not "Grands")
• Ragu Pizza Quick or similar pizza sauce
• Shredded mozzarella
• Your favorite toppings
• A spoon
• Cooking spray

You'll want to have a good fire going for a while before you start, so that you have a decent bed of coals to cook on.  If you can't have a campfire where you are, this works on charcoal briquettes as well.

Step 1. Spray the inside of your pie iron with cooking spray. Open your tube of biscuit dough and flatten 1 of the biscuits, then put it in the pie iron and close.

Step 2. Place your pie iron in the fire on the hot coals. Let cook just a couple of minutes, then turn your pizza crust over to cook the other side.  It's usually best to check for donness frequently, because temps on a wood fire can be pretty hot.  You'll also find that the first pizza takes longer than later ones, so be careful not to burn your second helping.

Step 3.  Add sauce, cheese, and toppings and you're done. Enjoy!

 

Canoeing the Headwaters of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway

Recently, I had the opportunity to take a 50+ mile canoe trek along the Allagash Wilderness Waterway with 7 Boy Scouts and two other adults.

Since no one on the trek was experienced in planning a lengthy trip such as this one, we decided to go through Maine High Adventure, a wilderness camping program for scouting groups sponsored by the Katahdin Area Council and run out of its base at Grand Lake Matagamon. The base provided most of the required equipment and food, a guide, and help planning the trip. In addition to the Allagash route we chose, the base offers several other treks including the East and West Branches of the Penobscot River, the Aroostook River, and other less traveled routes in the Maine North Woods.

Day 1 Outfitting and Shakedown

We spent our first day at the Maine High Adventure base getting outfitted, planning our trek, and refreshing our canoe skills. We then settled in for the night at one of the base’s “trailbound” campsites, and spent a little time cliff jumping in the evening.

Day 2 Chamberlain Thoroughfare

The next morning we paddled our canoes across Grand Lake Matagamon to start our journey. Upon reaching the landing we loaded our gear into the van for the 3+ hour ride to Chamberlain Thoroughfare. We saw a moose and several deer in the early part of the drive, which involved driving around Baxter State Park to Millinocket. We then used lumbering roads to head into the North Woods: First the Golden Road, and then the Telos Road. Finally, we reached the Chamberlain Ranger Station and had lunch at the landing before making the short paddle to our first campsite.  

Originally we had intended to stop at the “Boy Scout” campsite on Chamberlain Thoroughfare. This site, originally constructed exclusively for scout use, is now open to the public. Interestingly, however, it was occupied and we had to relocate to “Thoroughfare” campsite, an adjustment that is apparently common on the Allagash where all sites are first-come, first-served, but it was the only such adjustment we had to make. We spent the afternoon in the water around the site, swimming and fishing.

Day 3 Chamberlain Lake

For our first full paddling day, we had planned an 8 mile paddle northwest along Chamberlain Lake. We set out early in the morning paddling up the rest of the Thoroughfare, and I paused once or twice to take photos of the great views of Katadhin and The Travelers at our backs.

Unfortunately, when we reached the main body of Chamberlain Lake we were met with a strong headwind out of the northwest with gusts of 15-20mph. This slowed our progress. We hugged the shoreline for the first four miles, stopping several times at campsites on the shore and reached Gravel Beach campsite after a few hours, for a snack break.

Upon leaving Gravel Beach, we decided to try paddling into the wind to a point a couple of miles up the lake. A few days later with better balanced crews this might have worked, but unfortunately our stronger crews found themselves stopping frequently to wait for our weaker teams, and eventually we had to turn back toward Gravel Beach, where we set up camp in hopes of better weather to come.

Day 4 Chamberlain Lake to Eagle Lake

The next day was sunnier,but high winds still hampered our progress. This time we hugged Chamberlain's western shore to stay sheltered from the wind and made good progress. We stopped at a pebble beach along the route for a break and saw moose tracks on the beach, then pressed on, easily making our prior day's goal while it was still quite early in the morning.

While we were parked along shore for a brief hydration break, the ranger stopped to chat with us, and we ended up hitching a ride with him across the lake to Lock Dam. We loaded first the packs, then the canoes onto his center console power boat, and he carried us across two canoes at a time.

It's easy to look back and say that we should have made the crossing, but the prior day's experience was fresh in our minds and we had 12 miles to cover that day. It’s important to understand your crew's limitations, and the ranger was pretty clear that he’d rather help us out this way than rescue us if we got into trouble. It's an important lesson for everyone to avoid letting your pride get in the way of a safe and successful trip. 

Lock Dam

An interesting feature of Day 4 was our brief visit to Lock Dam. This dam was originally built to reverse the flow of water from Chamberlain Lake, sending lumber south to Bangor’s mills instead of north to Canada. Later, locks were added here to lift lumber from nearby Eagle Lake, but were discontinued after a few years in favor of a mechanical tramway. Almost no sign of the locks are visible today other than the lock keeper’s cabin, which now serves as a ranger’s cabin.

The earthen "Lock Dam" was built to send lumber south.

After a short portage around the dam, we continued on to Eagle Lake for another lengthy paddle, hugging the shoreline. Due to a miscommunication, we missed our intended stop at The Tramway, but made it to Hidden Pine campsite by 5:30 PM, getting us back on schedule with our trek plan.

Hidden Pine is one of the roughest campsites we experienced on the entire trek, offering very little level ground to pitch your tent. If you find yourself in the area, I highly recommend the short additional paddle to Priestly Point, just a few hundred yards further along the trail.

Day 5 Eagle Lake to Churchill Lake

Beginning on this, our third serious paddling day, traveled smaller lakes with markedly calmer winds. The calmer water conditions afforded us more opportunities for viewing wildlife, fishing, and photography than we had experienced before. We saw several eagles in flight and fishing on this day, which were unfortunately too fast moving and too distant to capture with my compact camera. 

It's difficult to make out the fishing bald eagle above and to the right of the red canoe.

We made an early stop at Little Eagle campsite to check our maps, and found that the last camper had made quite a mess in the site, leaving beer bottles and the remnants of fireworks, which are illegal in the North Woods, all around the site.  Our scouts spent some time cleaning these up before moving on.

We also paused on the shore of Churchill Lake for an attempt at canoe sailing. This process involves using canoe poles (yes, I said poles, see a video of a Maine Guide canoe poling) and ropes, together with our dining fly, to sail four “rafted” canoes. This was the first time on the trip we’d had the wind at our backs, but unfortunately they were inconsistent and gusty, making for poor sailing, and our attempt was short-lived. 

Our brief attempt at Canoe Sailing.

We landed at The Jaws campsite quite early in the day. Unlike the prior night, this was one of the best sites we encountered, featuring three distinct campsites, all of which were level and grassy, and a broad sandy beach, where our crew enjoyed a swim and canoe swamping contest. We also had our best moose sighting (a Cow and Calf) since our van ride on day 2.

Day 6 Churchill Lake to Umsaskis Lake

We set off early the next morning for the short paddle from The Jaws to Churchill Dam in order to be at the head of the line to run the rapids on the Allagash River. The water was very calm that morning and we were fairly close to a moose and several loons in the mile or so we had to travel.

A cow moose feeding at Churchill Lake

Scout and Scouter pause to observe wildlife.

The rangers at this site offer a portage service. For $10, they haul your gear past the rapids so that you can run the whitewater without risking damage or loss of your gear. We took advantage of this service, then portaged our canoes and safety gear around the dam. We had about 45 minutes to wait after the dam had been opened for the day, and during the wait, we saw three moose, including a cow and calf swimming across the lake above the dam.

Moose above Churchill Dam.

Moose swimming above Churchill Dam.

When we got the all clear, we pushed off. This stretch of the Allagash has about a mile of class 2 whitewater, followed by another three miles of class 1 whitewater and quick water. In spite of being whitewater novices, we weathered the water without taking an unintended swim. Whitewater paddling is a lot of fun. If you've never tried it I'd encourage you to give it a go on a stretch like this with low to moderate difficulty and long enough to really get a feel for what it's all about. We then picked up our gear at the site of the washed-out Bisonette Bridge, and continued on through calmer waters into the twisty, almost swamp-like area where the Allagash feeds Umsaskis Lake.

Umsaskis itself is small and shallow compared to most of the lakes we traveled over our journey. As a result, we reached our final campsite, Sandy Point, early.  Two of this location's three camping areas are grassy and comfortable, although the third feels a bit like a gravel pit.  Fortunately, we were the first there and had our pick of sites and time for some much needed downtime before dinner. Although we didn't spot any moose at the site, we did see several jackrabbits, and signs that moose had been in the area.

Day 7 Return to Base 

On the final morning, the crew staged a short canoe race between the campsite and the bridge under the Realty Road, then put in at the ranger's station to wait for the van back to the base. This van ride followed logging roads to Ashland, and Route 11 from Ashland to Patten.

We made a short stop in Baxter State Park to cool off at some natural waterslides before getting out at the landing at Grand Lake Matagamon to paddle back to Maine High Adventure on the other side of the lake.

In all, our trek covered 53 miles including our two Matagamon crossings. Some days, we came off the trail exhausted and it seemed like we never had a chance to slow down.  Other days were calmer. I think it is those days the boys enjoyed most, because it gave them a chance to make the trip their own. 

Our full journey is shown in the map below.

Map of Our Trek

View Maine Outdoor Living Trails and Campgrounds in a larger map

View the South Branch Pond Trail Map

Hiking and Rock-Hounding in Western Maine

Harvard, Tamminen, and Waisanen Quarries

Western Maine is a mineral rich area with rich deposits of amethyst and tourmaline as well as a variety of useful minerals such as mica, feldspar, and quartz.  As a result, the area has a number of interesting sites you can visit if you are interested in geology, history, or just a good hike.

One such group or quarries, owned by the Perham family, are in the area in and around Greenwood and West Paris.  At one time, the family owned a jewelry store at the corner of routes 26 and 219 in West Paris where you could pick up quarry maps and learn about the area's geology in addition to making a few purchases, but sadly the store has since closed.  You can download a pdf copy of the Perhams of West Paris Quarry Map.

We've visited Harvard Quarry, Tamminen Quarry, and Waisanen Quarry several times while camping at Littlefield Beaches Campground.  They are relatively easy to find, if a bit off the beaten track.  We've tried a few times to locate the Nubble Quarry as well, but have had no success finding the trail head. The Whispering Pines Quarry, while closer to the main road than the others, was further from our base camp, and we've never tried to visit it.

Visiting these quarries is a load of fun for young boys.  We've done it as a family outing and later brought Cub Scouts on a day trip here.  Bring a bucket, hammer, and safety classes, and perhaps a small shovel, and let them pick through the waste piles.  The boys bang away at the rocks and find "treasures" of their own. 

Below is a brief description of the three quarries we've visited as well as a few photos.  For more information on the quarries and directions on how to find them, download the Perham family quarry map.

Harvard Quarry

This quarry is my favorite of the three that we've visited for the scenic views available at the site and the short hike to get there - a twenty minute climb.

The trail to Harvard Quarry

View from Harvard Quarry

First developed in 1870, and mined by Harvard University in 1917, Harvard Quarry is known for its deposits of purple apatite, green tourmaline and black tourmaline, garnet, beryl, quartz and cookeite.  After visiting the quarry a couple of times with our boys we visited the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Massachusetts and seen samples  collected at the site.  It was nice for the kids to see the connection.

Waisanen Quarry

This quarry is just off the road, just two or three minutes walk on a gradual downhill.  It's usually filled with water, but the dump pile is fun for the kids to explore. 

Exploring the mine dump at Waisanen Quarry

This quarry was mined for mica and feldspar  starting in 1931.  Smoky quartz, purple apatite, bertrandite, gem quality tourmaline, and more have been found at the site by Frank Perham beginning in 1961. It lacks the great views available at the Harvard Quarry, but is great for its accessibility and the boys still enjoyed banging away at the rocks with their hammers looking for samples.

Tamminen Quarry

Just a tenth of a mile beyond the Waisanen Quarry, the Tamminen Quarry, this quarry is also very accessible. 

Tamminen Quarry was mined commercially for Feldspar beginning in 1930, and is named for the late Nestor Tamminen.  It features some really interesting quartz crystals as well as several other minerals.

Make a Cardboard Box Reflector Oven

There's no surer way to impress Cub Scouts with outdoor cooking than to tell them you're going to bake their favorite treat in a cardboard box.

As outdoor cooking methods go this is more stunt than practical, but it does pique the interest of young Webelos and their parents and is actually quite easy to pull off. We usually make the oven in a den meeting, and cook in it the next week as part of our Outdoorsman activity badge.   Here's how you can make one:

Cardboard Box Oven Tools and Supplies

• One cardboard box - approximately 22" x 15" x 11" 
• Aluminum foil - Have a full roll on hand, although you may not need it all
• A few heavy wire coat hangers
• 1/4" light-duty staples (for a staple gun) separated from each other
• Duct tape
• 2 disposable aluminum pie plates
• A utility knife or heavy scissors (for cutting cardboard)
• A pair of heavy wire cutters or lineman's pliers

Making the Oven
1.       Start by cutting one of the short flaps on the open end of the box down to 2-3 inches.  This will be the top edge of your reflector oven.

The short flap will hold your doors closed.

2.       Cover the inside of the box with layers of foil as follows:

A.     Bend a short piece around the four corners of the side walls, a small amount should also overlap the back wall of the oven.  Secure by pushing staples through the foil by hand at an angle.

B.     Stretch long pieces from the outside of the short (top) flap to the outside of the opposite flap, carefully tucking the foil into the corners so that the entire top, back, and bottom of the oven are covered and about 3" of foil are wrapped around to the outside of the oven.  Be sure to overlap all pieces and leave no cardboard exposed.  Inside, attach by pushing staples though by hand.  Outside, secure the ends with duct tape.

C.      Stretch pieces from the outside of one long flap to the other long flap (side to side) being sure to overlap your pieces.  Tuck carefully into corners and secure with staples inside and duct tape outside.  The entire  inside of the box should now be covered in foil.

There should be no exposed cardboard inside the oven.

3.      Create a baking shelf about 1/3 of the way down from the top by straightening and cutting wire coat hangers into straight pieces and pushing them through the box from left to right.  Use a ruler to ensure that the shelf is the same distance from the top corner on each side and your baking pan is level.   Bend the ends of the wires to hold them in place.

4.      If the wires sag, you can strengthen the shelf by weaving a couple of additional wires from front to back of the oven through the wires installed in step 3.

The baking rack in the carboard box oven is
made with coat hangers.

5.  Place one pie plate upside down at the base of the oven, and the second one right-side up on top of it.  This will hold the charcoal briquettes that are used as a heat source.

The lower pan keeps the extreme heat from the briquettes
away from the flammable cardboard box oven floor.

6.  Close your long side flaps first, and use the shortened top flap to hold them closed.

Exterior of the completed oven.

You have a completed Cardboard Box Reflector Oven!

Baking in the  Cardboard Box Oven

In theory, you should be able to bake just about anything in this oven, with the only constraint being the oven's small size and lightweight construction, which will by no means support a heavy load.  I usually opt for simple items that are easy for the scouts to make, like brownies or cornbread from a pre-packaged mix. 

You may need to experiment with the heat, but usually I find that 4-6 briquettes preheated until they are mostly white are about right for 350 degrees on a New England summer day. Preheat these outside the oven and then place these in the top pie plate and your baked goods on the rack in a disposable foil pan. A small shovel can be used to transfer preheated coals into the oven.