Cabin Camping at Camp Bomazeen

Recently, I had the opportunity to lead a group of Boy Scouts from Troop 817 on a cabin camping excursion to Camp Bomazeen, a Pine Tree Council camp on Great Pond in Belgrade, ME. 

While planning for the trip, I spent a fair amount of time looking online for information about the camp, which I had never been to. Unfortunately, there isn't much information about Camp Bomazeen on either the Pine Tree Council website or elsewhere online, so I thought I would share a bit of what I observed on our trip here.

Camp Bomazeen is on Horse Point Road in Belgrade.  It's actually situated between privately owned houses which made for an interesting experience on this trip when one of our non-scouting neighbors had a rather large late-night housewarming party.  The camp includes considerable waterfront with terrific views of Great Pond.



A view of the main waterfront at Camp Bomazeen, just out the front door of McCurdy Lodge.

 

Facilities

McCurdy Lodge

We stayed the weekend in McCurdy Lodge which is one of two cabins on the site equipped with wood stoves for winter camping.  I didn't count the bunks, but according to the Council's weekend rental form, this cabin sleeps 28.  It includes a large wood stove that was plenty to heat the cabin on the very cold and windy weekend we were there. The cabin also has a fireplace-wood stove conversion that we didn't use.

This large woodstove is the primary hear source in McCurdy Lodge at camp Bomazeen.

You do have to supply your own firewood. There is a latrine behind the cabin with electric lights an separate facilities for males and females. The cabin is also appointed with picnic tables, electric lights and enough outlets for adults to keep their phones charged.

We enjoyed our stay in McCurdy, my only cautions for groups staying here are:

• There is no outside fire ring and the fireplace is closed up, which posed some challenges for us doing Dutch Oven cooking and we had to improvise.
• There is only one room, which can be problematic if you're trying to adhere to the Guide to Safe Scouting's requirements for separate sleeping accommodations for males and females.

McCurdy Lodge from the North. The latrine is on the far left of the photo.

As I mentioned, the fireplace has been filled up with a plate-style conversion stove (below).  Given that the cabin's main stove was plenty to heat the place, I'd have preferred this left open for that open fire feel and a place to cook with the Dutch Ovens out of the wind.

One thing units should be sure to do is create a plaque commemorating their stay.  I hadn't planned on this and ended up carving one into a piece of scrap lumber. (Another leader traced my carving with a black Sharpie - see the below photo at top right). It's really fun to see these plaques scattered around the cabin and look for units and scouts that you know.

Pavilion Cabin

Pavilion is the smaller of the two winter cabins.  It sleeps 16 and features a walled-off second room to accommodate separate sleeping accommodations for females as required by Guide to Safe Scouting rules. We were originally supposed to be in this cabin but were relocated by the camp ranger because it is marginally further from the road than McCurdy and the camp roads were not in the best shape.

This unit is heated by a single wood stove and has electricity.  It's a short walk to the nearest latrine facilities.

Troops like ours that have camped quite a lot at Camp Hinds in Raymond or Camp Nutter in Acton could definitely enjoy the change of scenery at Camp Bomazeen.  I only wish that the weather had been less windy when we were there so we could have enjoyed more time out and about.  Happy camping!

How to Make a Simple Hobo Stove

It's name may not be politically correct, but "thrifty" scouts will appreciate the hobo stove for its economy.  It is made entirely from cast-off materials with simple tools and requires very little fuel to cook simple meals.  It's a time-honored cooking technique used by the homeless, hobos, backpackers and in survival situations.

Hobo stoves can be quite elaborate.  My simple hobo stove can be made by young scouts as a project a scout meeting. 

Materials & Tools

The tools and materials needed are simple:

• A puncture-type can opener (see photo)
• A hammer
• A spike or large nail
• An aluminum 3# coffee can or #10 aluminum can.
• A small scrap of wire mesh or chicken wire
• A vise and a 15-18" 2x4 are helpful as well

 

 Step 1: Create vents at the top and bottom of the hobo stove.

Using the can opener, create several openings around both the closed end and the open end of the can.  These will provide both the necessary oxygen supply at the bottom and a "chimney" at the top to allow smoke to escape.  More openings are better, so take your time.

Making vent holes in the base of the hobo stove.

Step 2: Create vents along the side walls of the hobo stove.

Put your length of 2x4 in the vise with most of the extra length sticking out on one side.  This will be used as a support for your can.  Then using the hammer and nail, create extra vent holes in whatever design you like along the sides of the can.  These provide some additional airflow as well as an opportunity to decorate your stove. 

Using a hammer and nail, punch additional vent holes in the sidewalls
of your hobo stove.

Step 3: Use your wire mesh to create a "grille" for the hobo stove.

Since your cookware will most likely entirely cover the mouth of the can, the grille may not seem as though it is a necessity.  On the other hand, it does provide some separation between the can and cookware and an additional route for smoke to escape.

For a grille, fold your wire mesh, chicken wire, or even an old wire coat hanger into a square-ish shape a little larger than the top of the can.  This simply rests on the top of the can under the cookware.

This photo shows finished stove, grille, and cookware.

Step 4: Fueling the hobo stove.

The fuel for the hobo stove would make scant kindling for your typical cook-fire.  Small twigs, small pieces and/or very small pieces of scrap lumber are all that is needed.  This small pile was more than enough to cook a simple meal, and I ended up burning off the rest just to clean up the mess.

Fuel for the hobo stove consists of small scraps and twigs.

Step 5: Final preparation.

If you've never cooked over an open fire before, fair warning! Your cookware gets very black and the soot can be very hard to remove.  Applying a little dish detergent to the outside of your cooking pan beforehand and spreading it over the entire surface with your fingers will make a huge difference at  clean-up time.

Applying dish detergent to the outside of cookware helps keep soot from
permanently ruining cookware. 

 

Time to cook on your hobo stove!

Kindle a small fire in the can. (I used a single sheet of newspaper as tinder and lit it through one of the vent holes.) 

Once the fire is burning well, it's time to cook!

You can cook almost any simple meal on your hobo stove.  In this example, I'm frying hot dogs and onions in a little margarine.  I've also done baked beans and hot dogs on the hobo stove as well as making boxed rice dishes (such as Rice-a-Roni or Zataran's).  You may need to add fuel from time to time.  Be careful to handle your grille with a mitt or stick.  It can get quite hot!

Hot dogs and onions cooking on a hobo stove.

This is one of those easy and fun projects, like the cardboard box oven, which fascinates scouts for its simplicity and highlights how cooking can be accomplished without fancy, expensive, heavy cooking equipment. 

Dutch Oven Kielbasa with "Both Potatoes"

I got the recipe for this Dutch Oven one-pot meal from the scoutmaster of another local boy scout troop several years ago, and have been making it ever since for both family meals and scouting events. It's quick, easy and popular with both boys and adults for its sweet and savory flavor and cooks up in 40 minutes or so in a #12 deep dish Dutch Oven (8Qt.)

This Dutch Oven recipe featuring low-fat turkey kielbasa is as easy as it gets.

 

Ingredients

• 3-4 medium white potatoes.
• 2 sweet potatoes.
• 1 large onion, sliced into rings.
• 1 turkey kielbasa
• 4 tbsp. margarine
• 2-3 tbsp. brown sugar
• salt and pepper

 

Directions

There isn't much mystery to this meal, which makes it perfect for the kids to take the lead on.  You just peel and slice your potatoes (the thinner they are, the faster they cook), onions, and kielbasa and put them in the oven.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to mix.  Then, add the butter in 4 or 5 pats to the top and sprinkle with brown sugar.  For an additional veggie, carrots make a great addition to this Dutch Oven one-pot meal.

In 72 degree weather with calm winds, I'd add maybe 12 coals underneath and 16 above (temp of 375 or so) and cook for 40 minutes or until the potatoes and onions are tender,

Serves 6.

Bigger group?  Double the ingredients in your #14 deep dish oven.

Two Ways to Hike Rattlesnake Mountain in Raymond

Rattlesnake Mountain is the most common hike done by hundreds of Boy Scouts camping at Camp William Hinds in Raymond, ME each year.  A climb up the mountain can afford some good easy-intermediate hiking and nice views of the surrounding lakes including Panther Pond, Thomas Pond, Crescent Lake and Sebago Lake.  It's also a good family day hike that I highly recommend to anyone spending a few days in the Lakes Region.

This year, I climbed Rattlesnake twice with my youngest son and other boys from troop 817.  We used two different routes to summit the mountain and climbed at two very different times of year.  The two experiences each offered their own unique features, but I thought I'd present them together.  Both trails are depicted on the map below, and a detailed description of our excursions follow.

View Maine Outdoor Living Trails and Campgrounds in a larger map

Our April hike followed the route marked in blue, while the fall hike followed the Bri-Mar trail, marked in red.

 

The Nubble Pond Trail

We first climbed Rattlesnake Mountain in late April, on a cool, sunny spring weekend before any leaves were on the trees.  We are at Camp Hinds for a weekend camping trip at which we focus on advancement activities for the Tenderfoot and Second Class ranks.  As it happens, a five mile hike is one of the requirements for Second Class.

For our five miler, we started in the parking lot across the street from the Messer Rotary Scout Training Center on Plains Road, and hiked down Plains Road to the trailhead (below). Right away, you notice the snowmobile signs and the sign that indicates the trail is on the property of Kingsley Pines camp.

One of the first things I noticed as I headed down the trail was a small brook to our right, which turned out to be the outlet of Nubble Pond.

Nubble Pond

A little further on, we came to Nubble Pond, which is a beautiful small pond with some very interesting cliff faces along its eastern shore.  We got a good view of them as we hiked along the western shore of the pond. And took a short break to enjoy the view at the Northwest corner.

The real climb began.  The trail, which is used by snowmobiles in winter, is quite wide and begins gradually at first, getting steeper as you continue up the mountain.  At its steepest points, you find yourself grasping trees to help pull yourself up, but nevertheless the hike was manageable for our eleven year olds. 

Overlooks

We ended up stopping short of the summit, which is tree-covered anyway and paused to enjoy the view from a granite ledge close to the summit.  My photos from here are not the best, but you get a door view of Panther Pond and Thomas Pond from here, as well as a view of Sebago Lake in the distance.

 

We hiked back to the Training Center along our original route.  In all we covered about 4.85 miles - close enough for the boys to have completed their requirements. 

 



The Bri-Mar Trail

 

In September, we hiked a shorter trail called the Bri-Mar Trail.  Whereas the Nubble Pond trail is accessible from the Plains Road, this trail is accessed from further north along Rte. 85.  The trailhead is in a hay on your left as you head North, and a sign in the small parking area explains that the land is owned by the Huntress family and the trail is named for Brian and Marlene Huntress, who used to hike there.

 

Hitting the Trail

After the short walk across the field, you enter the woods, and enjoy a nice walk through the trees before. The trail forks a short distance in, affording you the option of a longer, more gradual slope or a shorted uphill climb.  Take your pick, the two trails converge not too far on.

 

After the trails come back together, you come quite quickly upon an extended steep incline.  You gain most of the altitude you're going to climb on this stretch, so take breaks when needed. 

 

As you near the top, things level off almost as suddenly as the incline increased at the bottom.  You do encounter a number of downed trees that need to be climbed over, but for this stretch the inclines are modest and down-hills come almost as frequently as up-hills.

 

Overlook

 

As you near the top there is a fantastic overlook with wide open views of Crystal Lake, Panther Pond and Thomas Pond.  I'm afraid this panorama taken on my iPhone just doesn't do it justice.  If what you're looking for in climbing Rattlesnake is a great view, this route definitely offers the best.

 

 

 

We hiked on a bit further until the our routes converged near the location of the overlook we'd visited in the spring.  It was actually remarkable to note the difference with the leaves on the trees.  We debated splitting up because a few of the boys wanted to hike out on the trail we had used in the spring.  Unfortunately, we lacked adequate adult supervision to split into two groups, so we went back the way we came. 

 

In all, this hike was much shorter than the first - a round trip of about 2.5 miles.  It made for a great afternoon hike however, and was perfect for the time we had available. 

 

Both trails are great.  If you can leave vehicles at each end of the trail and hike the whole thing, I'd definitely try that.  If not, the Bri-Mar trail is probably the one I would do first, since it offers the best overall view and is a shade better marked.

Chicken Dutchilladas: Mexican Inspired Camp Cooking

In addition to being big fans of Dutch Oven cooking, we love Mexican food. This recipe for Chicken Dutchilladas gives us the opportunity to combine the two and enjoy a Mexican inspired meal while camping, beyond the basic quesadilla.

The original recipe was Scouting magazine's grand price winner in a Dutch Oven main dish recipe contest a few years back.  Mine uses red enchilada sauce instead of green sauce and reduces the quantity of  sour cream.  We like the red sauce better and find that the reduced amount of sour cream helps the dish hold together better when cut.

Chicken Dutchilladas (right) and Chocolate Lava Cake near completion.

Ingredients:

• 3 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, pre-cooked and shredded
• 1 Large can red enchilada sauce
• 12 Tortillas (corn or flour)
• Cooking spray or vegetable oil
• 1 Cup sour cream
• 1 Package dry ranch dressing mix
• 3 Cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1/2 Cup black olives, sliced

You'll also need:

• #12 Deep dish (8 qt.) Dutch Oven
• Oven liners or aluminum foil
• Griddle or frying pan
• Paper towels

Start by browning the tortillas in cooking spray or oil on the stovetop.  A griddle works best because you can do two at a time, and I find the process time consuming otherwise.  When you're about halfway through this process, pause to start your briquettes. Then complete the process of browning tortillas.

Next combine your pre-cooked chicken, olives, sour cream, ranch dressing, about 1/3 of the sauce  and about 1/3 of the shredded cheese in a bowl and mix.

Put liner papers or tinfoil in the bottom of your Dutch Oven.  This will aid removal of the meal from the oven later on and also speed clean up.  Wet the bottom of the liner paper with a little red sauce and the layer 3 tortillas with a small amount of red sauce between each. Then spread one layer of the chicken mix, and top with a little cheese.  Repeat this process two more times, until the chicken mix is gone.  Then top with three more tortillas, remaining sauce and remaining cheese.

Bake in a 350 degree Dutch Oven for 30 minutes or until the meal is hot all the way through and cheese is melted.

Remove from the oven and slice into wedge-shaped servings.   Enjoy!