Food for Thought

Or… “Why Langskib is like Mongolia”, by alumni Dave Roberts.

It has been over thirty years since I lead my last trip from the dock at Langskib canoe camp for boys.  I was a camper on the first Temagami Trip the year Dave Knudsen bought Camp Windshift which became Langskib. I was one of the first leaders, I co-lead the first Dumoines River Trip. I lead CG on his very first canoe trip; he later became the best assistant I had the pleasure of working with.

A lot has happened since I left Langskib;  some good, some not as good. I moved to the West, I worked as a cowboy on several cattle ranches in Colorado, I lead elk and deer hunters on horse pack trips into the Rocky Mountains for 11 years, did many other jobs, lived in several places. I married, raised kids, divorced and ended up with a desk job shuffling paper. I soon plan on changing that desk job to something more exciting.

Last year, life was getting a little too slow and too domesticated, I was missing the adventures I had leading canoe trips, the traveling into the unknown, not knowing where camp will be until evening comes. I missed the nomadic life I lived as a cowboy. So I packed some belongings and traveled to Mongolia for three weeks. The people there still live the same as they did 800 years ago when Genghis Khaan ruled. They live in tents called Gers, they move their livestock with the season, packing all their worldly belongings onto ox drawn carts and live off the land. Mongolia is great, just what I was looking for, people with a nomadic spirit. The entire time I was in Mongolia I never felt alone, everywhere I went people treated me as a friend. I spent days galloping a horseback across the Mongolian Steepe with nomadic horseman, I stayed in their Gers, I learned their culture and shared experiences with them. I am learning their language and plan to return to Mongolia next year to visit with Mongol friends and other friends I have yet to meet.

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I was inspired recently by a lecture that I attended by Kim John Payne titled Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids. Kim John authored a book of the same title in 2009, the ideas of which are catching on nationally at a rapid pace.  His message is clear:  by reducing the stress in the life of a child we give them the opportunity to flourish; the opportunity to  think more clearly, make better decisions, and have the capability to go deeper in to the activities, play, and work that they do now, and will do later.  Kim John explained that when children have a series of small cumulative stresses in their lives such as: too-busy schedules, constant media exposure, too many choices, and general chaos in their lives their brains function at limited capability while exhibiting the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.   In a time when it seems that stress is the new norm in our society, Kim John challenges us to keep it simple in the lives of our families, for the sake of our families.

Of course, it was hard to listen to this lecture and not make parallels to the ideals of Northwaters and Langskib Wilderness Programs and the reverence for childhood and adolescence that is honoured there.  By giving young people the opportunity to unplug, remove themselves from the expectations and norms of their home lives, and be with the land in a safe yet challenging environment, we create beautiful opportunities for personal growth.  We don’t need much to have powerful and formative experiences.  In the case of NWL, it is the bare necessities:  a tent, paddle, canoe, essentials that fit in to the canoe, a small group of supportive peers, and the quiet, solitude, and rawness of the Temagami Wilderness.

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Bannock is an old English word of Celtic origin and may have been the first word used to describe bread. Many native cultures of North America have also incorporated bannock, or frybread as it is also called, into their cuisine.

Bannock is a yeast-less bread that we cook every night in our convection ovens. It is a very simple recipe that uses baking soda and baking powder as leavening agents. Although we eat it every day, this trail staple can easily be jazzed up so that lunch doesn’t get boring. People have added cheese, garlic and onions; tomato soup mix and basil; chocolate chips; and cinnamon and brown sugar. It’s been made into dumplings and cooked in soup, as well as fried and covered in cinnamon and brown sugar to make Beaver Tails. Below is the recipe for bannock (more…)

By Kate Kerrick

Although we are on islands, far from convenient stores and large shopping centers, we still receive a great deal of fresh food and so our meals are always extremely delicious, varied, and well balanced. It is all made from scratch – no mixes, no pre-made frozen meals. Some of my favorites are the ginger and carrot soup, our fresh bread (from the wood fired oven), and the banana and chocolate chip muffins. It makes it so much more wonderful to come back from trail knowing that there is a home-cooked feast waiting for you. (more…)

By: Kate Kerrick

We are very lucky here at Northwaters and Langskib (NWL) to have three great chefs in our community. Robin Young works at our Northwaters Basecamp while Lynne Brach and Elizabeth (or 2D, as we call her) work at our Langskib Island basecamp.

Our Northwaters cook, Robin Young, grew up in Toronto. Her father inspired in her an appreciation for good, fresh, seasonal food by planting a garden for her when she was little. (more…)