Campfire Biscuits

One of our very favourite foods on this camping trip was the biscuits.

I don't have a recipe, because I discovered tea biscuit mix at Bulk Barn and all you had to do was add water. Perfect for kayak camping!

(Though, if you need to add milk to your recipe: skim milk powder mixed with water makes a great milk - even for drinking!)

There's a few ways you can cook these. In the pan (over a stove or fire) or...wrapped around a stick & cooked kinda like a marshmallow!

YUM! You can see our methods of cooking them (in a pan over the fire can be a bit tricky = burnt bottoms.)

Pukaskwa - Day 4, Part 2

Old Dave's Harbour....

The Harbour

The old lighthouse keeper's house

The lighthouse keeper left now that the light is automated, and this is now emergency use in the park.

And - fun to explore :) Living area

Kitchen (apparently they have a problem with "wee beasties."

Even though we hadn't seen a toilet in days...this one did not appeal. Hole in the ground = still a better option.

Million dollar view...in TO. Free for us!

Upstairs hallway

Guestbook

Back entrance

Basement

The sign by the door is one labeling the building "emergency use" by the National Park

Other side of the harbour

Ed taking a picture...

...Ed's picture :)

SUPER clear water!

Pukaskwa - Day 4, Part 1

Day 4 dawned, we had a leisurely breakfast, and got ourselves out onto the water.

Once we got out of Bonamie Cove, we met some waves. Not huge ones, but huger than what I'd been on before! Thankfully the wind was with us, and after the initial apprehension, riding the waves and dropping in the swells turned out to be quite a lot of fun! (And a good bit of hard work as well, to keep yourself headed in the right direction. My skeg doesn't as well as a rudder when it comes to waves. Better than any gym ab workout.)

We got out of the waves and into some calmer water when we got in between the mainland & Otter Island. By that point it was definitely time for lunch. I was getting grumpy, and hot dogs sounded good! Our option was a stone beach, where we also met some other kayakers.

After lunch, we headed around the island to Old Dave's harbour, where we got quite the treat - you'll see in the photos.

We viewed the Otter Island lighthouse, briefly. And then: our campsite for the night. Cascade Falls. We could see it from across the water, and it was definitely a neat place to camp.

Prepare for picture overload! It's a two part post, because there are so many pictures. The other half will come later today with the Old Dave Harbour photos...

Morning brekkie at Bonamie Cove.

Packing up the kayaks

Can't take many pictures while paddling in the waves..but this was a calm section!

LUNCH!

Kayaks lined up on the rocks. (We're finding the trowel for bathroom duties...)

Heading out of Old Dave's Harbour to see the lighthouse.

Newly automated lighthouse.

Cascade Falls & camping is on the horizon - after 19 km of paddling!

Sunny!

I missed being Sunny this summer.

For the first summer in 8 years (9?) I did not go to Campfire! as a counselor. I didn't even step foot on the property. HUGE sad face right there. Especially since a good friend of mine is on staff this year.

But, I've been busy and sometimes, you need to make [very] unfortunate sacrifices :(

That's not why I got these, but I still think my first "bought" flowers from Ed should get some recognition. Since they're so cheerful, and sunny, and I rather like them, and all. Hope they survive so I can enjoy them some more once I get back from the cottage!

They even match my Bible cover!

Meeting Mishap..

Of course, this WOULD happen on the way to the airport to meet Ed's parents for the very first time...

smoothie spilling disaster... of course I would take a photo!

We stopped at the mall so I could buy a new shirt. I walked in, grabbed a few, tried them on & came back out wearing the one I bought. No more big, pink, sour-dairy-smelling smoothie spots for me! And, the shirt was on a really good sale. Yay!

Pukaskwa: First Official Paddling Day!

Finally. On Saturday morning, we headed out from the Puk River Campsite.

After just an hour or so of paddling we got to Imogen Cove and had the opportunity to check out the old Pukaskwa Depot, a logging town from the 30s. There wasn't much left to explore, but the bits and pieces left are enugh to inspire the imagination & have you seeing the old town alive again in your imagination!

Imogen Cove also had a beautiful long beach, and we ate lunch here (more like snacks & oranges.)

After leaving Imogen Cove, it took us another couple of hours paddling on the beautiful, calm lake to get to our destination for the evening: Bonamie Cove.

At Bonamie Cove, we found a surprise. Although there was no loo for us, yet there were real patio tables, a full size shovel, and a wire grate for over the fire. We took advantage!

Dinner at Bonamie Cove was supposed to be lunch....quinoa salad. We added the ham that was supposed to go with the evening nasi goreng meal and I have to say, I think it was my favourite meal of the trip!

Good-bye Puk River campsite!

Destination: Imogen Cove

Shaun checking out the remains of a cabin in Pukaskwa Depot @ Imogen Cove

My boat & Ed's taking a break on the beach at Imogen Cove

Our party at Imogen Cove

Ed filtering water at Bonamie Cove.

First group shot at Bonamie Cove on our wonderful, shoveled-out sand bench :) L-R: Richard, Shaun, Kim, myself, Ed

Sunset @ Bonamie Cove

Silhouette group shot. Who's who?

Pictures of the full campsite @ Bonamie coming tomorrow!

Dah-dah-dah-DONE!!!!

Two Mondays back, I came home from work to this wonderful notice on the bulletin board in the entryway.

My basement is done being painted! (Thanks to Ed :)

And no yellow footprints in funny places thanks to this note. Just the stretch under where the wardrobe sat & the walkway to the laundry had to be finished yet, and now they are complete. And we had to walk around it for two days, but that went just peachily.

Also, the last bits of paneling & baseboard were finished.

When I get back from these holidays, I can get it all set up. Woot!

Pukaskwa Trip - Arrival Day!

After a brief blip in our last few hours, we got to the park at about mid-day.

(I wasn't driving....but yes there was a little green slip of paper. Grrr.)

Finally, arrival at the 7th park in my goal to visit all 42 Canadian National Parks!

After we arrived, we had to sign in, pay all of our fees, have a back-country orientation & then figure out if all of our gear fit into our boats! (And I managed to get in the last hot shower for the next ten-ish days!)

Richard & I packing our boats (it all fit in!)

Ed's boat, Kim & Shaun packing their boats

 Our gear fit (barely), we unloaded again, and in came the water taxi to take us to our first campsite at the Pukaskwa River mouth.

water taxi incoming!

Drop off at Puk River

First kayak campsite!

First kayak sunset!

:D

Meeting Kaylin :)

On the evening of the 7th - the night that we returned to our vehicles from our trip, a friend of mine had her baby!

Kevin & Andrea welcomed a daughter: Kaylin. She sure made her mommy wait it out - before we left on our trip she was expected to come any day. Still, at just one day past the due date, it's not toooooo bad!

I think probably the most excited person in the family was Kaylin's big sister, Serena! Serry is nearly 5 and has been talking about having a sister for years. Although, her 2.5 year old self had an imaginary sister named DW.....

Anyways...pretty cool stuff. This past Monday I visited Andrea & Kaylin for the morning and got to hold the 'little' peanut (9 lbs isn't so newborn anymore, but she still seems tiny!)

Camping Recipe: Pizza

I haven't posted any new recipes in awhile. But I have a slew of them now!

It's interesting what new things you'll try (and which work out) when you're camping! And it's also great what kayakers can take along (that backpackers won't because of the weight.)

One of the recipes that drew out the cameras were our pizzas. We ate these on either the first or second night at Cascade Falls, and boy, were they good!

Campfire Pizza!
Yield: 10 individual-size pizzas

Tools:
- Aluminum foil
- Frying pan (optional if you have a grate)
- Campfire

Ingredients:

• 10 flat greek pitas (not pocket pitas - we discovered for another meal that these go bad too quickly.)
• 1 green pepper
• 1 onion
• half-size bar of cheese (we used cheddar) (or one bag of shredded cheese. Both keep well for days)
• 1 bottle squeezable pizza sauce
• 1 package pepperoni slices

Directions:

1. Start a fire, and try to get it to good coals.
2. Chop the onion & green pepper
3. Grate the cheese
4. Line the frying pan with foil, or cover the grate over the fire with foil.
5. Squeeze sauce onto your pita, sprinkle on cheese, veggies, and layer with pepperoni.
6. Set on foil over fire
7. Bake until cheese melts.
8. Enjoy!

We enjoyed this meal with a melon for dessert.

The life....

Pukaskwa Trip - An Evening at Agawa

On Day One (Thursday, July 26) we left at approximately 6 am (I think a touch later.)

Our cars:

Stuck in construction traffic....

stopped for lunch...or a break...or gas...or the other kind of gas..!?

It was a long day of driving - the first half in the rain.

We got past the Sault and decided to start thinking of a place to stay for the night.

First we stopped at a look out....we were preceded by this dude...who actually came after us....??

I think I'm with the guy calling "poo" on the right...

By the time we got to Lake Superior Provincial Park, we decided to pull into the campground and find us a site for the evening.

Agawa Bay, site # 145. Book it if you're ever going that way. It's right on the beach, and a short distance to the comfort station. AND it's not on the road like the campsite like many of the back row are. This is the view of the tents. The fire pit was on the other side of the picnic table and off to the right was the beach.

Little tent for the girls, big tent for the boys.... dinner's cooking!

If you need more convincing that this was a great site/park: look at the sunset at the bottom!!!

perfect water for stone-skipping

miniature wave splashing up on the beach

And Ed's cam has even nicer shots:

We ate dinner here (sausages, potatoes & fresh green beans. Yum!)

And away we went the next morning....