It was more 16 miles of challenging terrain, terrain covering all sorts of circumstances.

A mile and a half of uncut hiking trail. Eight miles of obstacle-ridden mountain bike trail. Seven miles in a canoe on the Baskahegan Stream.

And just 2 Lawrence High School students trying to cover the course in less time than 8 other teams of high school students.

Seniors Bow Willoughby and Tyler Hienrich of Fairfield finished 4th in the East Grand Adventure Race, completing the course in a time of 2 hours, 56 minutes last Saturday. The East Grand team of Harvey and Abe Brittain were the day's winners in a time of 2:25.

Think Bear Grylls of Discovery's "Man vs. Wild" meets CBS's "The Amazing Race." Along the way teams encountered everything from newborn moose to washed-out culverts.

"Not only did the event promote good physical exercise," said event organizer Dave Conley of East Grand High School, "(but) it was a fun way to get young people involved with the outdoors while imroving on wilderness traveling skills."

You're bored. I can tell. I can see it in your face.

You say you're missing something -- the proverbial "it" -- and you want to find a way to challenge yourself and your senses, get out and feel like you're doing something. You're in luck.

WickedOutdoorsy.com has already filled the calendar.

It's 7 events designed to, in their words, "test the strength, stamina, and sanity of even the burliest New Englanders." From surfing icy Maine coastal waters to watching a Formula 1 race in Montreal, this list has it all. And, if you're going to do the loop, you're bringing me along. Remember, after all, you read about it here first, right?

“Spring fever is nasty this year,” said Drew Simmons, editor-in-chief of WickedOutdoorsy.com. “It doesn’t need to be warm, just get me out of the house.”

The criteria for the listing was simple -- it measured the ratio of discomfort versus reward and the likelihood that your wife/girlfriend wouldn't go even if you promised her a luxurious spa trip on the way home.

Without any further ado, here's the calendar. You've been warned...

* Surf Maine: The Kennebunk-based Aquaholics Surf Shop offers surf lessons starting April 1 with all the necessary equipment provided. Before you say, “that’s not manly, that’s just crazy,” you should know your instructor will be a woman.

* Ski Tuckerman’s Ravine: The quintessential backcountry skiing and riding spot heats up when warmer temps arrive in New Hampshire. With a variety of seriously steep terrain, the adventure begins with a 3-mile hike from Pinkham Notch, followed by a ton of hiking, just to reach a few minutes of glory. Definitely not for beginners.

* Raft the Dead River: As this winter’s record snow pack turns from white to whitewater, the local whitewater guides at Northern Outdoors in The Forks are expecting the Dead’s legendary rapids to be the biggest in the resort’s 32-season history.

* Blast Vermont turkeys: Home to New England’s most robust turkey population, Vermont will declare open season on these wild birds from May 1-31.

* Hang with 'Larry the Cable Guy': Sitting through Larry’s 2-hour comedy set at the Cumberland County Civic Center will require bravery, strength, and endurance.

* Catch stripers on the fly: Hosted by the Martha’s Vineyard Rod & Gun Club, the annual Fly Rod Striped Bass Catch & Release Tournament is never canceled, forcing eager anglers to fish through rain, wind and bad early season baseball.

* Formula 1 racing in Montreal: F1 fans from all over the world will bring their mullets to Montreal on June 8 to see some of the world’s most talented drivers race for the checkered flag. Oh, and Cuban cigars are legal in Canada.

One of my favorite "rite of spring" passages is a trip into the woods in Rome.

The hike up Mount Philip is great on snowshoes in the winter, but I prefer to make the trip in a pair of sturdy hiking boots. Two reasons -- the weather is a little warmer, obviously, so some of the snow melts, and once the trees start to bud, it's a gentle reminder of the promise of life which spring holds.

Timing is everything when it comes to this short, family-friendly jaunt.

Read the complete story in today's Kennebec Journal or Morning Sentinel.