Tumbledown Mountain

Tumbledown Mountain hides near its worn peak

a pond stocked with trout and a couple days worth of floating in the quiet.

Im thinking rainbow trout stuffed with cilantro, lime and chiles on an open wood fire

where the skin crisps

and the bones chill

some a late May evening.

(photos by someone else)

transientcanoe.blogspot.com

Unlike backpacking where weight is a major concern and space is limited, Canoe Camping allows anything and everything you'd would if you were "drive-up" camping. But, if you bring ultralight-backpacking equipment on a canoe, it allows you to bring even more food and beer along, ie. "essentials".  Instead of a 15 lb, two burner Coleman stove, two 2.5 oz Snow Peak Giga Power backpacking stoves make more sense, they weigh less and take up less space; hence,  more wine and cheese.

     This is where pure gourmet gluttony enters the picture. Ok, so camping doesn't scream out fillet Mignon with black truffle potato gratin or soft shell crab sandwiches on fresh camp cooked sourdough, but that's only because you don't have the balls! 

     I'm fucked up. People accuse me of over-doing-it or "doing-it-up". Yes, I am a guilty motherfucker. For me, it's not just camping with freeze dried dinner and trail mix snacks, its a gourmet adventure. A waterfall or gorgeous mountain view from a river bend-beach is why we come, but, that experience can be enhanced by a prosciutto,cappicolla, bufalo mozzarella, tomato & basil panini on fresh baguette, drizzled with a fine extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and fresh crackedpepp, which just happened to be our first lunch on the river. I mean, come on! Am I wrong? While your eyes and ears are getting high from the views and sounds of nature that some consider spiritual, why not engage the tongue? 

     Canoe camp-cooking is a pain in the ass. The more you can do ahead the better. I got my mandolin out the night before we launched, and dealt out the thin cards of a potato dish that drives you out of your mind. Potatoes, butter, cream and truffles, dude. 

8-10 purple potatoes (red can substitute)

4 cloves garlic, diced

1 large shallot, diced

1 1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup melted butter

kosher salt

fresh cracked pepper

1/4 cup white truffle oil

1 black truffle (if you cant find one, use more white truffle oil)

Slice the potato super thin on a mandolin (don't have a mandolin?, get em consistently even and as thin as possible).

Butter a Pyrex baking dish

Lay out a layer of potatoes

Drizzle with heavy cream, butter, extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of garlic, a sprinkle of shallots, salt,  pepper and Parmesan.

Lay out another layer of potatoes, 

Drizzle again with heavy cream butter, extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of garlic, a sprinkle of shallots, salt, pepper and Parmesan

Repeat this until the Pyrex is full

The cream, butter and oil should fill up 3/4 of the height of the Pyrex

dust the top with an extra sprinkle of parm and bake, cover in foil, at 350 for 45 min

remove from oven when you have a nice light brown crust and the insides are bubbling out the edges.

let sit to cool

slice into 4 in squares

shave black truffle over each piece

drizzle each with white truffle oil 

and serve beeyotch

(or in this case put in Tupperware and refrigerate 'til you leave)

More Moose Than People

Northrunner

Close to two years ago I bought this dvd. Within the first nine minutes, the first nine miles vibrated through every odd corner of my body. Chase Rapids & the Allagash River, who I never even knew existed, found an avenue of veins to motorcade.

http://www.state.me.us/doc/parks/programs/aww/video.htm

northernforestcanoetrail.org

The Unknown Masterpiece

Allagash Falls

To Allagash Falls

for 3 for 1

Camp at Dead Water North

The camp at Dead Water North proved out. From what we heard the Allagash was beautiful from up on the highbank. The slosh of moose heads dunking and grunts of hooves over river rock butted into our conversations at camp. The sun seemed anxious to close up shop on us as we had blown through our poorly allocated supply of ales. The river was wide and the colors the sun revealed over the surface of the rips, like a hiked silk over thigh, heavied the longing for women left behind.

Musquacook

Dead Water

Grey Brook on Long Lake to Squirrel Pocket on Round Pond was the perfect leisurely paddle. Having extra days to make the trip provides a calm as quiet as the lakes surface. At the Long Lake Dam portage we passed the only other party we would see; "ourselves in 20 years." Two older men, one with action pants the other rolled khakis. They moved at a pace that only retirement could afford. We were envious. We ushered passed them with the relish of youth on our dogs. We had the river to ourselves.