Feature Recipe

ALL IN A DAY’S WORK!

The Canoe Trip – Part 1

(Camping Bannock)

by Helen Webber and Marie Woolsey

of Blueberries & Polar Bears Publishing Inc.

 Occasionally Helen and I are given a break from camp routine and we become the guests!  In the summer of 1990 our husbands took us on a 5-day canoe trip down the South Knife River – the same trip they did the previous summer. This year the water is a little higher, but they feel confident that we will be able to negotiate most of the 20 or so sets of rapids, and if they look too treacherous, we’ll line the canoes along the shore. Doug and Gary are outfitted in chest waders, but they assure Helen and me that rubber boots will be sufficient. This is my first canoe trip, so what do I know?

              It is a bright, sunny day when we are dropped off at South Knife Lake, load the two canoes and head off for 5 days of blissful paddling. There isn’t much work to do since we’re riding with the current – man, is this going to be fun and restful, too! Lunch was a breeze – just a little pre-packed food on a pretty bit of shore – this sure isn’t hard to take – maybe we could just nap on the next stretch of the river.

 Is that a black cloud I see? It will just be a passing shower, surely. A little more pressing concern right now is the sound of swiftly flowing water up ahead. Head for shore! Paddle! Paddle! Everybody out! The men are going to need help lining this bit of shore – the bank is high and the water treacherous. Doug and Helen have maneuvered a little more quickly than we have and we’ve lost sight of them around the bend. Gary has grabbed the front rope of the canoe, so I’ll pick up the rear – big mistake! I can’t hold on – the water is winning and pulling the canoe out of my grasp  - if I don’t let go, the canoe is going to tip. Oops, too late! There go the waterproof bags – good thing they float – or is it?

Meanwhile, up front, Doug and Helen are preparing to re-enter the canoe, when they see objects floating by. Fortunately, the natural current brings most of the bags within reach for easy retrieval. When Gary and I arrive, we take stock. Missing: the tackle box, one fishing rod (we only brought 2) one extra paddle, one rubber boot. We’ve been lucky! But we are all now so wet, that we might as well find a camping spot and try to dry off before the rain that is threatening becomes a reality.

Inside our large tent, Helen and I huddle to keep warm – we have nothing dry to put on our cold feet, it is pouring rain outside, the men are bravely trying to keep a fire going, we have rarely been so miserable and there won’t be any fish for supper tonight! We are down but we are not out! We have a table, a one burner propane element, a frying pan, some oil and some pre-mixed bannock that only needs water – and we have plenty of that!

                   CAMPING BANNOCK

5 cups                  flour

½ cup                   lard

1 tsp.                    salt

2 tbsp.                  baking powder

¼ cup                   oil (approximately)

At Home: Mix all the ingredients together, except the oil, cutting the lard in with a pastry blender until finely blended. Store in an airtight container.

On the Trail:

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over an open fire or camp stove.
2. Mix 2 cups of bannock mix with 1 cup of water.
3. Remove the frying pan from the heat and carefully pat bannock mixture into the pan.
4. Return the pan to the heat and fry the bannock until it is golden brown around the edges. Flip bannock and fry until it is brown on the other side – about 10 to 15 minutes in total.

Awhile later we have bacon and eggs fried up to go with our bannock. Never was there a better meal served anywhere. Now, at least, we are warm on the inside. With full stomachs our spirits are lifted. Outside it is still raining, but we have met and conquered this first challenge and tomorrow is another day!

This recipe can be found in Helen and Marie’s first cookbook, Blueberries & Polar Bears

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