Voices from the Trail
Category: Trip Reports
A Springtime Paddle Through the Trees
Maybe it’s the backcountry skier in me, but there’s something about weaving in and out of trees that will never get old — and maybe that’s why I always mark the transition from winter to spring with a paddle upstream…
Aaren Harris: Navigating the NFCT with FarOut
My husband, Chris, my son, Rewan, and I began section paddling the Northern Forest Canoe Trail in June of 2018, when Rew had just turned 4. We knew we wanted to do a long canoe adventure and Rew had grown…
High Water on the South Branch of the Dead River
(Editor’s Note: This trip took place on May 20 and 21, 2019) My alarm sounded at 5:30 am, and I immediately checked the weather forecast. Pouring rain, high winds, lightning and hail in varying measure over the next 48 hours…
Exploring the Eastern Maine Canoe Trail
(The Eastern Maine Canoe Trail was an historic route rediscovered by Mike Krepner, whose vision helped inspire the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. Mike passed away in November 2018. This story was originally published in 1997 by the Portland Press Herald…
Northern Forest Canoe Explorers bushwack to the Northville Lake Placid Trail
There was no easy way forward. Tangles of overgrown beeches, witch hobble, and fallen spruce loomed in front of us. Miles of cobbled riverbed, at times too shallow to paddle, at times too deep to wade with a full pack, lay…
An alternative route to the Northern Forest Canoe Trail
On a beaver stream somewhere north of Mount Katahdin: It’s nearing dusk as we round a corner and find our route blocked by yet another tangle of blown-down spruce trees. The last mile and a half of travel have taken…
A Video Guide for the NFCT in Vermont
The following is a question-and-answer session done via email with Joseph Defelice of Riverbank Media in East Dorset, Vermont. He created a five-part video series about Northern Forest Canoe Trail waterways in Vermont. The series can be found in our…
The 90-Miler
The thing that surprises me the most as I recover from paddling my first 90-Miler canoe and kayak race is that my quadriceps are the only muscles that hurt. My arms and shoulders and core muscles that propelled the boat…
That ‘Big Sky’ feeling in Vermont
I heard a man from New Hampshire talk about the views in the North Country recently. He had just returned from driving through the Missisquoi River Valley in northern Vermont, where he was reminded of the scenic vistas that used…
Raquette Lake to Blue Mountain Lake
For thru-paddlers on the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, side trips, such as this one from Raquette Lake to Blue Mountain Lake, are a luxury few can afford. On the other hand, section paddlers often take their time and are treated…