Note: 2024 Thru-Paddlers Cassandra Smith and Henry Kohler couldn’t get enough of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, so they returned in 2025 to run it back. This duo is no joke! Read on to learn more about this year’s adventure.
Name(s): Cassandra (Cassie) Smith and Henry Kohler
Age(s): 29 and 32
Location(s): Pennsylvania
Dates of trip (start and end, plus total number of days): Started June 2, 2025, finished July 17, 2025. Total # of days: 45, 14 zero days.
Overall, what was your experience like paddling the NFCT from end-to-end?
Cassie & Henry: Paddling the NFCT has been an experience like no other. Out of all of the outdoor adventuring the two of us have done, nothing has been quite as difficult yet rewarding. There were plenty of hardships but they were always outweighed by the positives. Getting to spend every hour of the day for 45 days working towards a common goal with someone you love is so special and we feel grateful that we make such a good team. Being a part of the natural rhythms of mother nature, going to sleep with the stars and waking with the sunrise, just feels like what we were meant to do.
What were some of the best moments for you?
Cassie: One day on the upper Missisquoi we gave up on trying to make any real mileage because it was so hot out. It ended up being one of my favorite days because we just took our time walking upstream, swam constantly, fished and goofed off and ended up only doing 4 miles!
Henry: Hiking up to check out Brunswick Springs off of the Connecticut River, a mysterious spring known for its healing powers reportedly used by the Abenaki.
Cassie & Henry: Running the rapids on the St. John River — hands down our favorite rapids of the whole trip, such a rush!
What were the biggest challenges you faced?
Cassie: Spencer Stream was one of the toughest sections for me for sure. Even though we had nanospikes the rocks were so slippery and I was constantly twisting my ankles. The black flies were so bad we couldn’t take any breaks unless we were completely submerged up to our necks in the water. It was also swelteringly hot that day with no cloud cover. I cried … a lot.
Henry: The Spencer Road Carry was tough for me, it was the second day being over 90 degrees with 99% humidity after just doing Spencer Stream the day before. The bugs were absolutely terrible, no shade and a lot of uphill. We did end up seeing a fisher chasing a hare which made it all worth it!
Cassie: On day 3 our camp stove spilled boiling water onto my legs and feet. Dealing with the resulting blisters and trying to keep them as clean as I could was so painful and difficult and it took them weeks to heal.
Did you have any encounters with wildlife?
Cassie & Henry: Seeing moose on the Allagash was such a magical experience. We turned the corner in the river once to find one only 50 feet away from us munching on some grass. He calmly watched us paddle by before turning and making his way to shore to disappear into the brush. We also saw plenty of beavers, otters, muskrats, deer, kingfishers, eagles, ospreys, a fox and caught many fish including bass, pickerel, trout and Henry’s first pike!
Did you have a favorite section or community?
Cassie: Favorite community this time around was probably Allagash Village — we didn’t stop last year because everything was closed but this year we did. It seems like such a close knit community, everyone was so friendly, the diner gave us a free meal, and a local brought us a care package from his house after meeting us at the boat ramp.
Henry: One of my favorite sections was the Raquette River from Long Lake to Stony Creek Pond; I caught my first pike there. Another favorite was the upper Missisquoi River because I like the challenge of paddling upstream. The Trout River is beautiful where it flows into the Missisquoi and the section from Richford to the Canadian border had great fishing and I was surprised to catch several brown trout.
What was your rig? What gear did you find useful and what would you leave at home if you ever thru-paddle again?
Cassie: We paddled a Wenonah Minnesota II. One of my favorite pieces of gear this time around was my ultralight umbrella. I used it way more often than I thought I would between hot and sunny road walks and if we were to get caught in a torrential downpour while out on the water it was nice to put up to snack under or to check the map. Our Kahtoola nanospikes were a must-have for all the upstream walking on those slippery rocks. I don’t know how we did it without them last year. This was also our first time using a new water filter — the MSR Guardian and I can’t recommend it enough! It filters 2.5 liters per minute and back flushes itself. It was a game changer. Our ZRE carbon fiber paddles are probably our #1 favorite piece of gear. They are so light and I can’t imagine ever going back to a normal, heavy paddle. We were pretty dialed in with our gear this year so there wasn’t really anything we would leave behind although we’re always trying to bring less and be as light as possible because it really makes all that portaging SO much easier.
What would you tell someone who is considering a thru-paddle?
Cassie: I would tell them to get ready to have one of the greatest adventures of their life. To soak in every day, even the hard days because when it’s over you will start to miss it almost immediately! I would also tell them to be prepared to walk more than they think and to pack as light as possible.
Henry: I would tell them to try to learn to enjoy the portaging.
