Camping and Hiking at Bradbury Mountain

The original weather forecast was for sunshine and temps in the low 70’s. However, as the day of leaving for our camping adventure arrived, the skies were gray with heavy fog and mist. That mist turned to a torrential deluge of rain at precisely the moment we were setting up camp. Just like last summer, our mother-daughter camping trip was 2 days and nights of non-stop rain with sunshine only returning the morning of our departure. Déjà vu.

Bradbury Mountain State Park in Pownal is a beautiful place to hike and easily accessible for camping. There is something for everyone at Bradbury Mountain. The trails are the primary attraction, especially the short hike to the top of the Mountain. 35 camping sites at the advertised “primitive” campground are available to rent. The park provides outhouses, showers, and even a place to microwave a quick meal if needed. It’s the perfect spot for my daughter and I.

My daughter is a true outdoors woman, preferring solitary camping where nature provides water, to be purified, and none of the frilly amenities like toilets. She finds campfire wood from fallen branches and uses her ever-present hatchet to chop them into manageable pieces. She always makes sure to hang her food provisions high from a branch lest late night visitors find themselves a snack. As for me, I don’t mind sleeping on the ground. Though not necessarily looking for glamping, I am glad for communal out houses. I also like having my car accessible to the camping site for ease of unloading the bundles of pre-cut firewood (purchased on site for $5.00 a bundle), real food provisions (not the freeze dried pouches of calories that hikers use) and tarps, ropes, and bungee cords to craft rain proof canopies over the fire and sitting area. Although having said that, my daughter always reserves the one camp site that is tucked far away from fellow campers and is a good hike from the car. She makes sure I am getting in plenty of “steps” while unloading the car.

Our campsite is hidden from the road. The site provides a picnic table, a fire pit with a grate and a lean-to. As a fun side note, our lean-to was constructed as an Eagle Scout project by Cumberland Troop 58 in 2009. That information was inscribed onto the inside of the roof’s overhang. It made the wooden structure feel more special. Now the reason I needed the lean-to was that my tent (although it keeps me warm) could not survive a deluge of rain. I love my little dinosaur covered tent. When I found it at Goodwill, it had never been used. It was advertised at $10.00, but since it was the sale color of the day, it was half priced at $5.00. Obviously, it is a child’s tent. I checked the measurements… 72 inches wide x 60 inches deep x 48 inches high, sufficient for my 5’ 4” frame with room to spare. My daughter’s tent is 100% waterproof and rated for below freezing temperatures. She easily survived last year’s camping with monsoon weather. Again, one of us is an experienced hiker/camper able to survive in the wilderness with nothing but a Swiss army knife and a box of matches, and the other just likes to cook over a campfire and have fun.

I was impressed with my daughter’s “MacGyver-style-skills” as she rigged up lines and tarps to create a canopy, offering us some protection against the rains, a task made even harder this year as several trees we had used before to anchor the ropes had been cut down. There was a small gap between the 2 tarps, which was needed to allow smoke from the campfire to escape. But that gap also allowed rainwater down through to our sitting area. Then, I had the idea to use my daughter’s beach umbrella that I had noticed in her car. Resting astride both tarps with the handle pointing down through the opening, we stayed dry. It looked as silly as my blue dinosaur tent, but at least it was functional.

Elizabeth’s dog, Ferris, was ever vigilant, lest a chipmunk dared to come too close. It was a peaceful time to spend with my daughter and to catch up on what was happening in each other’s lives - to be in the moment. We enjoyed the quiet time, just being together, serenaded by the crackling of the fire and the occasional sounds of rustling leaves and scurrying small creatures. The woods and waters of Maine have seen a drastic increase in outdoor recreational use since the pandemic. This increase has impacted the environment with unprecedented demand on trails, camp sites, and parks. Trash such as candy bar wrappers, soda bottles, toilet paper, doggy poop bags, and face masks plagued Maine’s outdoor spots last year. Please remember to dispose of all wastes properly. Take out all that you bring in.

We took one final surveillance of the campsite as we were preparing to leave. The site was left exactly as we found it with the exception of one last piece of firewood, ready for the next camper to use. We will be back next year, rain or shine, for another mother-daughter camping trip and making new memories.

Here are a few of my camping tips:

• Freeze water bottles to be used to cool food in coolers.

• Precook and chop as much food as you can to cut down cooking time. I parboiled veggies and pre-chopped onions and peppers for hotdogs.

• Place smaller amounts of food to bring, like condiments in plastic containers or plastic bags. Saves space in the cooler.

• If cooking directly over an open fire, for easier clean up, rub the outside of pans with dish soap. Allow to dry. Makes cleaning up of soot covered pans a breeze.

• After cooking, fill a pan with water and leave it on the fire. Warmed up water for easy clean up.

• A crumpled ball of foil makes a great scouring pad.

• Dip marshmallows in water before making s’mores. Marshmallows won’t burn, holding them over the fire.

• Place a rug outside your tent door to wipe feet before entering