Dutch Oven Dumplings with Easy Chicken Stew

You know a recipe is a winner when the kids ask for it. When my oldest son requested this the other day and his very picky younger brother ate every last bit of a large bowl (even the Lima beans), I figured it was time to share this one.

This Dutch oven recipe makes a yummy if simple chicken stew with lots of dumplings on top and will feed 6.

Ingredients

Stew

• 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 lb mixed frozen vegetables
• 2 quarts chicken broth, or 8 bullion cubes and 2 quarts water
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water

Dumplings

• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose baking mix
• 1 1/3 cup milk
• 2 tbsp melted butter, cooled
• 2 tbsp dried parsley flakes

Start your briquettes.  While they are heating, mix dumplings according to package directions, add parsley, and set aside.  Then, cube your chicken breasts.

Making Your Easy Chicken Stew

Arrange 10-12 briquettes under a #12 deep dish Dutch oven. In the bottom of your Dutch oven, sauté onions and garlic until the onions are tender.  Add chicken and brown thoroughly. 

Add chicken broth, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  While the broth is heating, mix cornstarch and cold water in a cup or small dish.  Add cornstarch mixture and frozen vegetables. 

Put the lid on the Dutch oven with 14 briquettes on top and bring the stew to a brisk, bubbly boil.  At this point, a little extra heat below the oven may also be helpful to speed up the cooking process.

Adding your Dutch Oven Dumplings

Once your stew is bubbling vigorously, it's time to spoon your dumplings on top of the stew. 

Remove the lid from the Dutch oven and using a pair of serving spoons add dumplings.  Use one spoon to scoop a generous amount of batter, then hold the spoon close to the surface of the stew and use the other to scrape the batter onto the stew, floating the spoonful of batter on the surface. Repeat until you've used all the batter.  It's OK if there are gaps between dumplings.  These will fill in as they cook.

Cover the oven and move your top briquettes to the outer edge of the lid and bake 10-15 minutes, checking periodically to be sure the dumplings don't burn.  Dumplings can be checked with a fork for doneness.

Dutch Oven Roast Chicken and Foil Baked Veggies

It's true that necessity is the mother of invention.  I cooked my first full roast chicken in a Dutch Oven a few years back when a friend and organic food enthusiast brought an 8+ pound grass fed roaster on her first ever RV camping trip next door to our seasonal campsite.  Lo and behold, the chicken wouldn't fit in her travel trailer's tiny oven, and it was up to me to get the bird cooked.

Fortunately, my maiden effort was successful, and I've added a few improvements in the years since.  The recipe and photos below are for the dinner I helped Troop 817 scouts prepare when we were cabin camping at Camp Bomazeen last December.  We were feeding a big group and did two birds, but I've reduced the quantities here for more of a family meal.

A pair of Dutch Oven roast chickens on our recent trip to Camp Bomazeen.

Although Dutch Ovens are known for one-pot meals, we cooked the veggies in foil on top of the oven. This approach shortens the time it takes to cook the bird, much like an un-stuffed turkey cooks faster than a stuffed bird.  It also reduces the liquid you need in the pot, so you bake rather than steam, giving you a browner skin.

Ingredients:

Chicken

• 7-8 lb roasting chicken
• 1     tsp garlic powder
• 1/2  tsp salt
• 1/2  tsp ground sage
• 1/2  tsp ground thyme
• 1/4  tsp pepper
• 2     large onions

Veggies

• 6 medium potatoes
• 2 cups carrots, peeled and cut
• 1 medium onion
• cooking spray
• EVOO, or butter or margarine
• salt and pepper

Cooking Equipment: 

• #12 or #14 deep dish Dutch Oven
• lid lifter
• shovel
• aluminum foil
• knives, peelers, mits
• (optional) Dutch Oven liner paper
• paper towels

Starting Your Dutch Oven Roast Chicken

Combine the dry seasonings.  For camping trips, I do this beforehand in a snack-size ziploc bag. Remove neck, etc from an 7-8 Lb roasting chicken.  Rinse and pat dry with paper towels, then sprinkle the bird inside and out with the seasoning mixture.

Line the Dutch Oven with liner paper for faster clean-up if desired. Cut 2 large onions into thick slices (rings) and use these to line the bottom of the Dutch Oven.  They'll add some flavor and moisture and help prevent the bird from sticking to your oven.

Ideally, you want the temp inside the oven to be between 375 and 400. On the windy winter day that we cooked our chickens, that took a lot of charcoal. In the summer, start with the lid diameter plus 2 on bottom and the lid diameter plus 6 on top and see how it goes.  Add more if necessary.  Bake for 60-90 minutes, until the bird is fully cooked and juices run clear.

We had to get really creative when cooking in the strong winter winds at
Camp Bomazeen, using discarded tent platforms for a windbreak, and
borrowing a few blocks from a fireplace to make a cooking platform.

Cooking Your Veggies

There is ample time after the bird is on to prep your veggies.  Spray a generous sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray, then peel and cut your potatoes and carrots into bite-sized portions (the smaller they are, the faster they cook).  Rinse and arrange on the foil.  Chop your onion and add to the foil.  Drizzle a little EVOO or add a few pats of butter on the veggies, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  

Spray a second sheet of aluminum foil and use it to cover the veggies, rolling the edges to form a pouch.  It's usually a good idea to add a second later of foil outside the first to prevent you from losing half your meal because of a tear.

When your chicken has been going about 45 minutes or so, set your foil pouch on top of the the coals on your Dutch Oven lid.  Cook 30-45 minutes, turning frequently.  Wisps of steam escaping the corners of your foil pouch and the smell of cooking onions are a good sign that your veggies are nearly done.

Here, the foil pouches containing our veggies are shown
atop the two Dutch Ovens we used to roast chickens.

Finished Meal

Troop 817 gobbled this meal up after a long day of winter camping, so it was definitely a hit. Boys were even seen picking the bones clean after dinner.  We also cooked a Dutch Oven apple crisp for dessert, but that's a story for another day's post.

A fellow camper carves the chicken before we served up our meal,
which was a big hit with the boys.

Dutch Oven Chili with Cornbread

Chili is one of those meals that evokes memories of when I camped as a Boy Scout back in the mid-eighties.  Ironically, though, it's not a meal I cook often camping anymore.  It seems like most of the Scouts in my son's Boy Scout troop don't care for chili, and only two out of four members in my family enjoy it.  As a result, it isn't practical to lug all the ingredients out on a camping trip.  I decided to splurge for this past weekend's Super Bowl, however, and made a batch of Dutch Oven chili with cornbread.

Like most chili recipes out there, this one is my own concoction, but some of the elements, like cooking cornbread on top of the chili, were picked up from a fellow Scout leader and Dutch Oven enthusiast. 

Cooking equipment for this recipe includes a #12 deep dish Dutch Oven, lid lifter, shovel, charcoal briquettes, mixing bowl and various measuring cups and spoons.  Optionally, you may also want to use a camp stove for the early part of the cooking process.

Ingredients:

Chili:

• 2 large (28 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 large (2 lbs) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed
• 1 small (1 lb.) can black beans, rinsed
• 1 bottle chili sauce (you'll find this in the condiments section)
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green pepper, diced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil (opt.)
• 1 Tbsp Chili Powder (Additional to taste - I use a lot.)
• Cayenne Pepper (If you like more heat.)

 Cornbread Topping:

• 2 boxes Jiffy brand cornbread muffin mix
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk

 

Starting Your Chili

Brown your ground beef and set aside.  This can be done quite well in the bottom of your Dutch Oven, although I usually cook it beforehand in a separate pan and carry the pre-cooked meat to the campsite.

To save on briquettes, I typically start the chili in the Dutch Oven on a gas camp stove or grill side-burner.  This may not be necessary if you're cooking on an open fire.  In the base of a #12 deep dish Dutch Oven, sauté the onions, garlic, and green pepper in the olive oil until the onions begin to soften.  Add mushrooms and sauté a few minutes longer.

Add tomatoes, chili sauce, kidney beans, black beans, salt, and chili pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until bubbly.  Here's what it looks like at this point:

 

Simmer for at least 45 minutes - longer if you'd like a less chunky tomato base.  Add cayenne pepper or additional chili powder for your desired heat.

Adding the Cornbread and Finishing the Cooking Process

If you started your chili on the camp stove, be sure to light your briquettes about 45 minutes before dinner should be ready.

While the chili is simmering.  Mix the cornbread muffin mix, eggs, and milk in a large mixing bowl. Set aside until you're almost ready for dinner.
 
Transfer your Dutch Oven to your briquettes, if appropriate.  On a warm summer day, I'd use a dozen briquettes below and 12 above. I used quite a bit more on this winter day in the thirties. Your top briquettes should be arranged in a ring around the perimeter of the lid.

Bring the chili to a brisk boil, like the photo below.

For your cornbread to cook properly, the chili must come to a brisk boil.

Once the chili is boiling, use a large spoon to spoon the cornbread batter on top of the chili.  Cover and cook, about 15 minutes or until the cornbread cooks through.  The end result looks like this:

Completed Dutch Oven Chili with Cornbread on top - delicious!

Let the chili stand a few minutes, then serve.  You'll find that this recipe is less sour than most due to the sugars in the muffin mix.   Enjoy!

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!

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