On the last day of a three-day canoeing trip on Moose River in Maine, a group of 13 University of Maine students came upon Holeb Pond just before dark. The sun was beginning to set, chilling the air and painting the sky with soft streaks of blue, yellow and golden orange. When the sun went down, the stars burned brightly, reflecting off the pond that expanded out before them like a sheet of glass.
“When we entered the pond, everyone put down their paddles at the same time. Everyone was quiet,” Dylan Cole, third-year biology student at UMaine, said. “We sat in silence while everyone gazed at the sunset. Everything was still. These are the moments I live for.”
Brian Greulich, a first-year physics student at UMaine, had never been on a canoeing trip prior to the group’s excursion back in October 2014. The group paddled a loop totalling 34 miles over the course of three days, camping for two nights along the way.
Greulich was drawn to the University of Maine from New Jersey, captivated by Maine’s beautiful landscape.
“I came to Maine because it is truly a stunning state,” Greulich said. “We’ve got everything in Maine: coast, mountains, forests — you can experience anything you want here. The outdoor community at UMaine is really amazing. I now know enough people here that if I wanted to go ice climbing this week, there will be a handful of people that would be excited to join.”
Whether it’s canoeing down Moose River, biking through campus, shredding the slopes at Sugarloaf or ice climbing in Acadia National Park, UMaine students are staying connected to the outdoors — all year round.
“I love being outside because it gives you the opportunity to disconnect,” Cole said. “We live in a man-made world, but when you venture out into nature, you get to experience something that is not created by people.”
Cole is a member of the Maine Outing Club, founded in 1923. The club is comprised of students that are interested in anything involving the outdoors. Members plan outdoor adventures for weekend trips such as hiking, camping and canoeing.
“It’s a way to get people who, on their own may not have the opportunity or resources to experience nature the way they want to,” Cole said. “But through the Maine Outing Club they can find a community that makes it a lot easier to do so.”
The “College Ski Pass,” a season’s pass to Sugarloaf, Sunday River and Loon Mountain, is extremely popular at UMaine and allows students to ski their favorite mountains on a college budget.
One of the biggest reasons Mo Sykes, a third-year landscape surveying student, came to UMaine was for the powder.
“The skiing in Maine is amazing. That is one of the biggest reasons why I came to UMaine,” Sykes said. “Ski the East!”
As the snow starts to melt and the ski and snowboard season comes to an end, students are getting excited to resume their outdoor activities that have been on hiatus all winter.
Emma Sanchi, third-year sustainable agriculture student, is excited to sprawl out on the Fogler Library Mall to do her homework, play ultimate frisbee and to ride her bike to school again. Sanchi uses the UMaine DeMerritt Forest Trail system to get to school, which connects Old Town with UMaine’s campus.
“The trails are great. They are paved, well-maintained, easily accessible and extremely convenient,” Sanchi said. “Plus I love clearing my head while biking through the forest.”
Between classes, homework, clinicals and time with friends, Julianne Munson, third-year nursing student, always makes time to escape to the outdoors to de-stress from everyday life.
“I feel like my relationship with the outdoors positively impacts the way I learn in the classroom, since it always seems to clear my mind, soul, and spirit,” Munson said. “The crisp air, the lush shades of green, and the silence of the snow help to rejuvenate my mind and body to help me focus on finishing the semester… with the right foot forward.”
Olivia Bean and Kris Bears are excited for warm rays of sunshine, but the harsh winter didn’t stop them from doing the things they love — hiking, canoeing, climbing.
“Seasons don’t matter to me. Especially in Maine, people are excited to do things no matter what the weather is like,” Bears said. “I’ll climb rocks if it’s sunny and I’ll climb ice if it’s winter. As long as I’m outside, I’m happy.”
Bears is a third-year civil engineering student at UMaine and has been an equipment and rentals manager at Maine Bound for the past two years.
Maine Bound is a program within Campus Recreation at UMaine, located in the Maine Bound Adventure Center. The program consists of indoor rock climbing, instructional programs, adventure trips, discounted ski pass sales, courses, activities and equipment rentals.
For first-year students, Maine Bound offers orientation trips prior to the start of fall classes in order to introduce students to their peers, as well as Maine’s beautiful landscape. Maine Bound also manages the “Blue Bikes” bike loaner program, in partnership with the Green Campus Initiative, which allows students to rent a bike for a semester.
Some upcoming trips and clinics at Maine Bound include a Kayak Roll Clinic, Wilderness First Aid, a sunrise Cadillac Mountain Hike and an Intro to Sea Kayaking course.
For students of all ability, hiking opportunities are right around the corner. “I love UMaine because Acadia National Park and Baxter State Park are so close in proximity and you can enjoy them any time of year,” Bean said. “I think it’s so important to get outside, even in the winter.”
“The whole experience of being in the outdoors allows you to get away from the stresses of your life and just be in nature,” Bean said. “That is the beauty of this school, you can escape to the outdoors whenever you want. And there is always people excited to join.”