by V. Paul Reynolds

The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) winds from Old Forge, New York to Fort Kent, Maine. Established in 2000, it is the longest mapped inland paddling route in the country: 740 miles.

How would you like to paddle that? No thanks. The NFCT is the canoeist’s version of the Appalachian Trail,  another intimidating outdoor challenge that has never been on my bucket list, even though I enjoy hiking and paddling in small doses.