Hermit Noah John Rondeau’s cooking at Cold River and at Singing Pines was … about stretching a sparse amount of food over several meals involved making chowder.
The Hermit and Us – Our Adirondack Adventures with Noah John Rondeau
Memoirs of the hermit Noah John Rondeau
An excerpt from “The Hermit and Us”, Starting on page 258
I then noticed a very frail-looking elderly gentleman with a long grayish beard. He wore wire-rimmed glasses. He was of thin build and stood about five feet six inches. I estimated his age to be in his late seventies or early eighties. His shoulders stooped forward slightly.
I thought for his age he appeared to have most of his hair. I also thought to myself when I saw Noah that there was a strong physical resemblance to Chet. His clothing consisted of a bluish shirt and I think old baggy jeans with suspenders to hold them up. Upon Chet introducing us, I recall in shaking his hand that it was a weak grip and I, of course, attributed that to his age. I had further observed outside in front of his cabin a cooking area with a frying pan in the middle of it. Noah John spoke very softly and sometimes his terminology was a little different than ours.
Also, I had noticed a homemade rocking chair in the front of his cabin. Noah had invited us inside his bungalow, or cabin; I noticed what appeared to be a bench wide enough to be his bed with blankets at the end and a small table with cans on top. I should mention that this day was bright, sunny and warm. There was a small box-type stove inside. I remember Noah saying “perfect sunshine.” I remember that because I never heard that expression before or after.
Noah and I talked about fishing. He stated that he caught mainly trout in the brooks, some Rainbow and Brown, stating they were good eating. We talked about deer and bear hunting. He stated that he killed many and lived off the land and “never wasted anything.”
Noah and I talked about fishing. He stated that he caught mainly trout in the brooks, some Rainbow and Brown, stating they were good eating. We talked about deer and bear hunting. He stated that he killed many and lived off the land and “never wasted anything.” He made use of all that he killed for clothing and eating and heat. Also I recall him saying that he had to get to the berries before the animals did. He said he kept a good amount of his canned food in the river where it was cool, and non-perishables in caches of discarded galvanized CCC [Civilian Conservation Corps] cans which prompted the remark, ‘If a mountain climber ever got low on their own food, I’d tell them to stop by the Town Hall and Rondeau and he’ll give you something good to eat out of the garbage can.’
Courtesy of Bill Frenette
Noah’s cooking at Cold River and at Singing Pines was very undistinguished in character. His idea about stretching a sparse amount of food over several meals involved making chowder. Whether it was deer or bear meat, muskrat or beaver, fish or vegetables he’d say “I’ll make nice chowder.”