exercise. It was not unusual to find a woman or two in a sporting camp, and it was even said they often weathered the harsh conditions of camp life with a little more grace than their male counterparts. Cabins were initially quite drafty and simple and the wind would whistle through the logs perhaps echoing the call of the loons on the lake. All provisions, including water, had to be carried into cabins equipped with wood stoves for heat and using candles or kerosene or gas lanterns for light. Activities & The Seasons Guests using a sporting camp as a home base find Maine’s unique natural settings right at their doorstep. Each season offers a unique way to explore the pristine Maine wilderness. Summer Sporting camps have always been popular during the summer vacation season, especially with families. Activities available during the summer months might include ATVing, fishing, fly fishing, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, paddling, boating, mountain biking, mountainboarding, swimming, photography, wildlife viewing, bird watching, berry picking, rock climbing, mountaineering, old-fashioned lawn games or s’mores at the campfire under a sky full of stars. Autumn Fall visitors to a sporting camp may witness the ever-changing painting of the region’s foliage or take advantage of the fall hunting seasons on big or small game. Autumn camp activities might include hiking, canoeing, kayaking, paddling, mountain biking, hunting for birds, bear, moose, deer, coyote, rabbit or other small game, leaf-peeping, photography, wildlife viewing, bird watching, and rock climbing. Winter Winter activities at a sporting camp might include ice fishing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, photography, wildlife viewing, bird watching, dog sledding, and snowshoeing. The pristine whiteness which often blankets the landscape from December through March may limit access to remote camps, and very few remain open during this season due to impassable roads. State work crews plow the state and federal highways, town employees clear town roads on a schedule reflecting priorities of permanent residents, and access over private roads is landowner or road association responsibility. Maine winter storms and low temperatures sometimes challenge even the most modern snow removal equipment. Through the early years of the twentieth century, carriages and automobiles were tucked away in barns for the winter months while teams of horses or oxen pulled giant rollers over the roads to pack the snow into an icy surface suitable for horse-drawn sleighs. Spring If a camp is on a lake or pond, it