An Unforgettable Summer

Growing up, I always had an opportunity to enjoy the outdoor spaces around me, whether it was climbing, mountain biking, paddling or running. I grew accustomed to these opportunities, and didn’t always appreciate them for what they were. Having spent an entire summer working with the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, I have a new-found appreciation for the outdoors and the activities I’ve come to love.

I wanted to work for the NFCT because I am passionate about trail building and stewardship of natural spaces, and because I wanted to explore the Northeast in a way I never had before. This experience was that and more. We started off in the Adirondacks, spending three weeks near Saranac Lake and the northern part of Lake Champlain, and eventually made our way to Maine. We constructed bog bridging, stone steps, and moldering bin privies for various sites along the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. 

My favorite place we went to the entire summer was Valcour Island on Lake Champlain. We used a pontoon boat to bring most of our stuff out to the site, and later paddled in with our food and other gear. The views from the shore of the island were incredible, overlooking the mountains on the New York and Vermont sides of Lake Champlain. On this particular trip, the weather was not on our side. One morning the winds were so strong that I woke up at 4 am because it felt like my tent was going to blow away — with me inside. I eventually moved my tent to a more wind protected place; that was a memorable moment where I learned a valuable lesson in tent placement.

Working with NFCT volunteers was one of the best experiences from this program. Each week, anywhere from five to 13 volunteers arrived on Friday afternoon and stayed until Sunday morning. And each week, a new and interesting group of people came who were passionate about the Northern Forest Canoe trail and who had their own interesting life stories. Cooking for them and working alongside them on the trails was a fantastic experience that I will carry with me for a long time.

My summer with the Northern Forest Canoe Trail taught me a lot about myself. Many of the physical skills I gained, I will take away for a long time. I also grew a lot mentally from this program. Being in remote places, working on trails, and oftentimes working long days, challenged me in ways I didn’t know were possible — I’m forever grateful for the opportunity I was given. I want to give a special thanks to Aviva, Lena, and Alex for making this a summer I will never forget.

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