Spirit Camping - Camping, Hiking, Travel and More

If you are interested in winter activities and events in Maine, it isn’t always easy to find the latest news about what’s going on. Maine is one of the most popular winter destinations, simply because it’s a part of the country that receives some of the highest levels of precipitation in the form of nice, white, fluffy snow.

There are resources to learn about those fun winter festivals and skiing events, but you need to know where to look.

Where to Find Activities and Events in Maine

You’ve never fully experienced the wilderness until you’ve experienced the great outdoors of Maine.

Growing up in Aroostook county, I had the advantage of a childhood where I could walk out of my back door and just beyond my back yard I could go hiking for miles. The wilderness behind my childhood home felt like it went on forever. Of course, the only thing between the town where I grew up and Canada was thousands of acres of untamed wilderness and occasional logging roads.

While that sort of environment can feel very remote, and for the uninitiated it can feel scary - the solitude that the great Maine wilderness offers is also a spiritual experience that you’ll never forget. However, for many people who have never gone skiing on Maine’s many slopes or winter hiking and camping in its sub-zero temperatures, having a club or organization to support you through your adventures is a very good thing. When you want to know about outdoor activities and events in Maine, outdoor organizations and clubs are the first place you should start.

The Top 4 Sources for Outdoor Information About Maine

The following organizations are the best outdoor groups in Maine. If you are interested in hiking, skiing, camping or canoeing in Maine, joining any one of these organizations would be a very smart decision.

The first organization isn’t really a group, it’s a resource put together by the state called Visit Maine, to promote tourism. The website is a very valuable resource to learn about activities and events going on in Maine. The site provides information about Maine lodging, dining and activities, and if you click on the “Events” category you’ll be swept away to a very well designed Events page.

These activities are not only outdoors, but you can filter results to only show activities for “Science & Nature” if you like. Search for events that are great for children, based on performing arts or just check out all events going on throughout the state.

MaineTourism.com offers this valuable official travel planner in electronic format (PDF) called Maine Invites You, where you can learn about events and information for the year including cruises and fishing trips, skiing, museums, hunting and much more. The book is updated every year and offered for free.

This book is a valuable resource and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s even just planning to visit Maine for a simple vacation, not only for outdoor experiences.

The Maine Outdoor Adventure Club (MOAC) is a great organization for anyone who simply wants to experience the great Maine outdoors.

The club offers all kinds of events, both public and private, so checking out this calendar often (and joining the club itself) is an excellent idea.

The Maine chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is another great place to go if you want to go on outdoor adventures with a bunch of folks who love the wilderness just like you.

The Maine AMC goes on work trips (to maintain trails), organizes outdoor trips and also offers social events. I can assure you that if you join the Maine chapter of the AMC, you’ll never be bored. Additionally, you may even consider joining the Maine Appalachian Trail Club, a group of very special men and women who devote their own personal time and resources to maintaining the Appalachian Trail and the many structures and camping areas it visits.

Have you ever visited the Maine outdoors? Do you spend time with any of these clubs? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

Tags: campgrounds, camping, facts about maine, skiing, snowshoeing

As the camping season gets good and fired up this year, I wanted to take a moment and reflect upon one of those things that makes going on a camping trip with a large group of people so fun - easy camping pranks.  And there’s nothing that’s quite as good for the spirit as a good, hearty laugh.

The following pranks are some of the best I’ve found throughout the Internet, as well as a few that I’ve played along with friends on various camping trips through my life. When you grow up in the Northern Maine woods, camping becomes a way of life and one of the easiest ways to have some fun with friends on the weekend (away from parents).  So pack up the fake bugs and whipped cream, and let’s go!

The Top 10 Easy Camping Pranks

I started out this list with a series of about five of my own favorite camping pranks that you can pull off with very little preparation (in most cases). However, if you spot one or two that may require a little bit of prep work, don’t let that discourage you because those are often the pranks that work best. A few of these only require a straight face!  So, without further ado - here is this years list of the top 10 easy camping pranks.

#1 - Attack of the Birds (and Possibly Critters)

If you’ve ever sprinkled breadcrumbs or small bits of food near a campsite and observed that location over the next few hours, you know that it doesn’t take very much to attract nature’s smallest animals to that spot. Both birds and squirrels seem to have an uncanny ability to zone in on the smallest morsel of food that hits the forest floor. Taking advantage of this knowledge can be a very powerful think for the prankster camper.  All you have to do is wait until an hour or so before dawn, creep out of your tent and sprinkle breadcrumbs all over the top of the tent of your victim(s). Go back to bed and wait. Within an hour or so, depending on the time of year (and the population of birds and chipmunks or squirrels in your area), you’ll start hearing fluttering wings and scampering feet all around the target tent!  The poor campers inside won’t know what all the ruckus is about.

#2 - The Ranger Just Told Me…

There are a few variations to this prank, and each one is a riot. Every campground is maintained by a great crew of rangers or campground workers. Most of the time these workers are friendly and will answer questions or offer advice. One of the funniest “setup” gags is to walk off to go to the bathroom or get some water. Wait a while, and when you return to camp, tell everyone that the Ranger just told you that he’s alerting everyone that the local news just reported an escaped convict from a local prison (it helps if there’s a local prison, or if the campers are clueless about the local area).  It’s best if you tell everyone this just before bed. As people crawl into their tents, they’ll be wondering about the news…possible fretting about spending a long night in an area where there could be an escaped madman. Wait about twenty minutes after everyone is settled in, and then all of a sudden start screaming, “Oh my god! It’s him! He’s here! Oh my god he’s coming!”  Watch everyone scramble out of the tents with a frantic look on their faces.

#3 - The Bear Variation - another version of the Ranger prank is that the ranger told you there’s a bear that’s been ransacking tents and going after camper’s food, and in one case attacking a boy scout troop by tearing up a tent and pulling a camper into the woods. After about twenty minutes, creep out of your tent and then start grunting outside the target victim’s tent. After a little while, as you do one last grunt, slap the side of the tent as hard as you can.  Just make sure the victims don’t have any weapons, because there’s a strong possibility of panic setting in!  It’s hilarious - especially when they all scream.

#4 - The Critter Variation - This version of the Ranger prank involves telling everyone that the ranger reported that snakes have been creeping into sleeping bags (or small animals, spiders, etc…) When your victims aren’t paying attention to their tents, creep in and sneak pine cones or some other rough object into the foot of their sleeping bags. When everyone goes to crawl into bed, wait for the screams!

#5 - The Case of the Annoying Cricket

If you’ve ever had a cricket trapped inside your house, you know how annoying it can be at night. Catch a cricket by setting a light down on the ground at night and wait for them to come to it (they’re attracted to light). Capture one or two in a jar.  Go into your victim’s tent (either that night or the next day) and release the crickets into the victim’s tent. Once night falls and those crickets start singing, the campers in that tent will never get any sleep.  This has to be one of the funniest camping pranks I’ve ever witnessed, as the victims will start cursing the cricket and complaining, while you and your friends are rolling around in your tent in fits of laughter.

More Easy Camping Pranks

Can’t get enough camping pranks? The following will keep you occupied all throughout this camping season:

• Padlock the two zippers of the front tent flaps together so the campers can’t get out.
• Prepare breakfast for everyone, and slip a bit of hot sauce in the orange juice (mix well).
• Set up camping chairs for everyone, but carefully remove the nuts and bolts - watch as everyone collapses to the ground.
• Squirt toothpaste inside everyone’s shoes at night, and watch the fun in the morning as people slip their feet into their sneakers.
• Fill up water balloons, and have your friends help you stake out the victim’s tent in the morning. As your fellow campers arise from their slumber and exit, let them have it!

Tags: camping, camping pranks, easy camping pranks