Hang Up and Hang Out Outside
By Eva Neumann, Yarmouth High School Senior
Contributor Eva Neumann, pictured in front row, center right, takes a break with her Outdoor Club during a hike up Mt. Megunticook in Camden.
My Yarmouth High School Outdoor Club was one of seven from Maine that arrived in Camden for a camping weekend with Teens to Trails. There’s no better way to soak up the beauty of mid-October than time outside with new friends from across the state. Teens to Trails asked all of us to refrain from using our phones, so that we could truly engage with nature. Our YHS Outdoor Club motto, “hang up and hang out” set the stage for the weekend.
After setting up camp and preparing a pasta dinner, we listened to Maine Search and Rescue discuss training search dogs. It started to get chilly at sun set, but nothing a few layers couldn’t help. Our club wandered to an open field to stargaze. The moon was bright, but we were still able to view constellations and planets.
The next morning, we gathered with the other school outdoor clubs to introduce ourselves. Teens to Trails encouraged each school to perform a skit about their ideal adventure. One school group turned into a human boat and acted out rafting down a river. We pretended to go skiing and then stargazing. We carried a club member and turned him into a shooting star. Another school pretended to summit mountains in the Presidential range. My school won the competition, and we were awarded a disposable film camera, hot pink sunglasses, and bubbles— all of which were put to good use throughout the weekend.
We spent the next few hours helping the park rangers with yard work. After a few too many jumps into leaf piles, we enjoyed lunch and went on a hike, which was a highlight for me. The foliage was in full swing, and it was perfect hiking weather. We paused at an outlook to look across Penobscot Bay with views reaching Mount Desert Island. Two bald eagles flew over. As we hiked up, we sang and challenged each other with riddles. It was refreshing to be disconnected from my phone. In fact, I’d left it behind at the campsite. As we hiked, I couldn’t remember the last time I hadn’t brought my phone with me.
In the evening, Maine Search and Rescue offered another interactive demo, and we leaned how difficult it is to rescue someone from a steep, rocky slope. After the demo, we all tried to go to bed early in preparation for our sunrise hike. The next morning, all the schools met in the dark, and we began our hike up Mt. Battie. We sat on rocks overlooking Penobscot Bay, and slowly, the sky turned from night to day. When the sun peeked from the horizon, a hush fell over each person, and we enjoyed the most spectacular sunrise together.
Later, as we broke down the campsite, “hang up and hang out” echoed in my mind. In my daily life, my phone is a safety net. During any awkward silence or lull in the conversation, like many of my peers, I resort to my phone. This camping trip reminded me that everything is sweeter when you go outside. If it weren’t for Teens to Trails and my outdoor club, I wouldn’t have gone camping or met students from across the state. I also made more meaningful connections with kids from my own school. I’m grateful that organizations like Teens to Trails and outdoor clubs exist, so that high school students like me can unplug outside.
If you’re curious to learn more about Teens to Trails programs for middle and high school students through out the year, visit here.