The inaugural MOB Summer Camp was held June 22 & 23 at Northeast Whitewater in the Moosehead Lake Region. The idea for a “summer camp” started making the rounds a year ago — seeing it actually come to life, with a full crew of Maine’s outdoor industry, felt pretty amazing.
The real magic was the mix of people who showed up. Small product brands sat alongside outdoor nonprofits, trade associations, and service-industry folks — a cross-section of Maine’s outdoor economy that doesn’t often end up around the same table. Whether over a shared meal or standing waist-deep in a river, those conversations were deep and impactful. The kind of ideas and partnerships that start with “oh, you’re dealing with that too?” happen when you put the right mix of people together and give them room to talk.
Camp kicked off Monday evening with a Welcome BBQ pig roast to get everyone settled in. We had a special treat for dessert: Taylor and Colby from Portage Eats broke us out into small teams to make some blueberry cobbler! Launching later this summer, Portage Eats will provide freshly-packed camping meal kits featuring local Maine ingredients.
Tuesday started early for the ambitious — optional morning moose tours on the lake or a small-group fly fishing outing with Isaac of New England Fly Co. Three moose were spotted and about a dozen fish were caught.
Back at base, Jeremy Hargreaves of Northeast Whitewater provided an overview of Maine’s rafting industry, how Northeast Whitewater is adapting, and a history of his own entrepreneurial journey. This was followed by a Founders Q&A with Alejandro Strong (Packraft Maine), Sam Roberts (Sambob), Sarah Holman (She Hikes Mountains), and Chris Millard (LiteAF), who traded notes on their businesses and the opportunities and challenges facing small outdoor brands right now. Local leader Margarita Contreni also joined to tell us about Greenville, the initiatives surrounding Big Moose Mountain, and what’s next for the Moosehead Lake Region’s outdoor economy.
After lunch it was time for afternoon outdoor activities: packrafting with Packraft Maine, gravel biking with AMC, or hiking with She Hikes Mountains — something for every pace and comfort level.
None of this could have happened without the people who showed up to guide, host, and cook for us. Huge thanks to our activity guides: New England Fly Co, She Hikes Mountains, AMC Maine, and Packraft Maine — for sharing their expertise and their trails. And to Jeremy, Derek, and the rest of the Northeast Whitewater crew: thank you for being the best hosts (and chefs) we could’ve asked for!
To everyone who came out, thank you for showing exactly why Maine’s outdoor industry is such a special place to work. Some of the best ideas didn’t come from the agenda at all, but from the conversations that happened around it — and we’re excited to see where some of those threads lead. This is Summer Camp the way it should be.