The Scenic Route with Outdoorsy!
Spring in Maine can be fickle. It can snow. It can be hot. It can rain for days. It can bloom! It can be beautiful. All of this makes planning for a spring adventure a little variable. When the time came to plan our second van trip with Outdoorsy, we had so much fun perusing the available vehicles and imagining what a spring adventure could look like in whatever spring condition we were presented with. As our trip neared and we saw the weather was going to treat us well, we narrowed the scope of our expedition, bringing our fly fishing equipment, hiking clothes, and even our bikes. After considering lots of rentals available throughout Maine, we opted for a similar rig to our winter excursion — one that had lots of gear storage for various activities, room to relax, and aesthetically modern! We found a Ford Transit based in Cape Neddick, booked it, and got planning! Through Outdoorsy, we decided to add on a bike rack to our rental for $30, making it easy to bring them with us.
We picked up the van, loaded it with our gear and groceries, and hit the road Tuesday morning. The first leg of the trip was up I95, but we couldn’t wait to get on the scenic route and start our adventure. Using Maine’s gazetteer as our guide, we flipped to Map 29 to scope out a campsite for the night. We made our way to the east side of Flagstaff Lake, where our initial plan was foiled by some locked gates. Retracing our tracks, we wound around to the west side of the lake, where we found a beautiful place to park and call home. Things never go according to plan on adventures, but having a van with all that we needed inside made setbacks (like where to camp) feel less intimidating.
Rain was on and off as big billowing clouds rolled over our heads, interspersed with beautiful sunshine in-between. We threw on our raincoats after a passing shower and decided to walk around the grounds to get a sense of the place. Right on the shores of Flagstaff Lake, we had magnificent views of mountains, streams, and the wilderness of Maine. For dinner that night, we cooked up some paninis in the van on their induction stove. After the meal, we converted the couch and table setup into our bed by laying the table and plank flush with the bench, moving the cushions into the middle, and made the bed with linens and blankets. It was surprisingly comfortable and, after a few rounds of Trivial Pursuit: National Parks Edition (quite a difficult game even for outdoor enthusiasts and trivia lovers like ourselves!), we hit the hay.
The next morning was beautiful with blue skies overhead and a gentle breeze, perfect for keeping the black flies away. We brewed some hot coffee to enjoy with our breakfast sandwiches that we ate on the picnic tables while making a plan for the day. Since we didn’t want to lose our campsite by moving the van, we found a trailhead three miles away that we could bike to. We let the stillness of morning linger a little longer before packing our daypacks and hitting the trail.
After a quick ride down the gravel road along Flagstaff Lake, and through Stratton village, we arrived at the Cranberry Peak trailhead. We locked our bikes to a tree and got going quickly so the swarms of hungry insects couldn’t get to us. As we made our way up the mountain, we were reminiscing on the last time we were in this range. It was last fall, when we decided to hike the Bigelows for a work photoshoot. The trail was steep, it was surprisingly hot, and the sunsets were early. We scrambled up the Fire Wardens trail to Avery Col, dropped our packs, and made it to the summit just in time for sunset, where we captured a beautiful array of lifestyle images for a client. We even got up the next morning for sunrise, where we were delighted with peachy skies and a cloud inversion. Long story short, when we got back home, we learned that the memory card in our camera was compromised, and we lost half the images for this assignment. Desperate to please our client, we made the last minute decision to do the hike again, on a shorter, hotter day, getting a later start. It was brutal, but worth it. All of this is to say, it was great being back in the Bigelows, moving at a more leisurely pace.
The trail took us along the north-west ridge, where we were treated with views of Flagstaff Lake through the trees. Up and over some impressive rock ledges, we finally made our way to the summit, where we had 360º views of Maine’s natural beauty. We pulled out our apple, cheese, and meat stick lunch and basked on the warm rocks. It was so peaceful up there Cam nodded off, and likely could have napped until the sunset! Eventually, we peeled ourselves off the rocks and wound down the trail, taking in the views before dipping below treeline. At the bottom, we unlocked our bikes, buckled our helmets, and cruised back to the van.
That evening, we lit a campfire for ambiance and to cook on. Dusk was beautiful, with a golden sun setting across the lake. We cut up peppers and onions and threw them into a tin foil basket with some oil, salt, and pepper. After a few minutes, we added the sausage, then toasted some baguettes. We assembled our rolls with our toppings of choice and savored the first of many campfire meals of the season. We delayed bed as long as we could, telling stories of past adventures and dreaming up more summer adventures. Something about being out under the stars always sparks such wonder.
The next morning, we filled our mugs with iced coffee and brought our breakfast station outside. The van supplied a propane stove, perfect for grilling up some muffins and fried eggs. The forecast for this day had rain coming in the afternoon and, after two nights at this site, we made plans to migrate to see new sights. We converted the bed back into a couch, tucked away all loose ends, and said goodbye to the lakeside site!
Up the road from Stratton, we cruised along RT 27 looking for nice pools in the river to cast some flies into. I intentionally don’t say fishing, as I, personally, am never out there looking to catch any fish — I just love the meditative nature of standing in the stream and the rhythm of casting. We were just having fun, but if you’re interested in fly fishing in Maine, definitely hire a guide — there are plenty of great ones throughout the state that know the right spot for the right time, and the right flies to tie! The rain started to fall as we waded in the water, which only added to the peacefulness of the activity. When things started to get wetter, we decided to hop back into the van for more sightseeing from the comforts of our dry vehicle. We admired the chain on ponds from the road and thought about how cool it would be to explore this area by canoe — next time!
This region, the Arnold Trail (RT 27 north of Eustis) follows the route of Benedict Arnold's expedition to Quebec, and features a number of plaques and informative signs along the route that detail his fateful journey northwards. For history lovers, and those just looking for a scenic drive or bike, this route is spectacular. For more on Benedict Arnold's exploits in Maine, we covered this expedition in Issue 10: West.
Our dinner plan for the evening was to grill Caesar salads, but with the drizzling skies overhead, we decided to go out for the evening. From Stratton, we took RT 16, or “Moose Alley” as some call it, over to Rangeley and passed three moose along the way — go figure! We stopped and admired one moose from afar as it grazed on some submerged greens. After snapping a ton of photos we continued on to the Portage Tap House in Oquossoc, which sits at the portage from Mooselookmeguntic Lake to Rangeley Lake on the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, another canoeing dream of ours.
After dinner, we tucked into the van for our final night in the van. Each night, we slept better than the one before, marveling at the comfort of such a confined space. We felt safe, relaxed, with all the amenities we could imagine for life on the road. The next morning, we made coffee and breakfast for the road and wandered back to our home in Portland, where we unloaded our gear and cleaned out the vehicle before returning it. The owners were delighted to hear about our trip, using their rig to the fullest.
This van adventure was just as fun as it was relaxing, which, if you know me, is a huge compliment. It was awesome to go when we wanted to go and to chill when we wanted to chill. Having everything we need with us makes being spontaneous or settling in both great options. If you’re hoping to adventure with Outdoorsy this summer, be sure to check out their Get Outta Here giveaway for the chance to win a $1,000 trip and an “Escape Pack” including goodies from Yeti, AllTrails, Merrell, and more. All you need to do is let Outdoorsy know why you need to Get Outta Here! We love this way of exploring and look forward to another roadtrip this summer. Stay tuned for that and be sure to check out Outdoorsy.com in the meantime to put plans in motion for a van adventure of your own!