Northern Forest Canoe Trail

[Young-Grizz]

Hello Everyone,

This is my last year in college and I'm planning to paddle the NFCT as a celebration when I graduate. I'm completely enamored with the allure of a trek of this magnitude, but at the same time it would be my first time undertaking such a long trip. I'm consuming as much info as I can and starting preliminary plans (watching videos, reading articles, taking stock in what I own, figuring out who's gunna be in the bow, etc), so I would really love any advice or experience anyone has, or just something you wish you you had know before setting out on the Trail.

I'd also like to hear advice on good gear for cooking and water purification, tents/hammocks, twig stove vs gas stove, and people's choice for trail boats. I have a royalex Mad River Explorer 16, and I'd like to know if she'd be fine for the trip or if I should shop around for a different boat?

I graduate in late June and would like to start soon after however, I'm not sure if this is ideal. I also think working until spring could fund the trip and have better water levels, so guidance on overall cost and good starting time will fall on eager ears.


best regards,
Grizz

 

[yellowcanoe]

One thing to consider in June is that the water is cold.. Ice out in Maine in that area is mid May.. June is good for wildlife viewing but the no seeums come out around June 10. Blackflies about Memorial Day. Hammocking in the Maine sections might always be possible but the no seeums are worse back in the forest.. Most people use tents and camp where there is a breeze and few trees.

I am not sure that twig stoves are regarded in Maine as fires are. Except for the Penobscot River Corridor and the Allagash, fire permits must be obtained for open fires. This link says twig stoves are permissible https://www.northernforestcanoetrai...trail-through-paddling-trip-a-basic-overview/

Water purification isn't an issue. Just use a water filter. Out of some of the large lakes I drink from the lake.. ( I live in the area and section paddle)

Not all portages are cartable so there will be times when you carry the cart: notably the 2 mile long Mud Pond Carry which is a skinny ditch filled with water. Carts dont fit in it. Still there are times when a cart is really nice.

Your time frame could be scooched up a bit to May but ice out sooner than that is very iffy. The Mountainman paddlefest is very soon after ice out and its scheduled in Old Forge in mid May.

You are young and strong and the Explorer would work fine. You might try tandem poling..

 

[bcelect]

As far as a water filter is concerned, get one that back flushes and a spare filter is a good insurance policy. Nothing worse than a clogged filter when you need it most. A base camp bladder type is nice in camp, you fill the bladder and let gravity do the work. Folks in the Boundary Waters swear by Sawyer Filters, they even retrofit other manufactures' bladders with Sawyers, because they have a huge capacity with the back flush option.
Also, a bottle type which you can fill as you are paddling and have a drink is a great option, these are usually back flushed right away after your drink.
Do you have a portage yoke already for your Explorer? Make sure it is comfortable and the mount is durable. In My opinion the Royalex is a great boat especially for rocks and whitewater, but will be a little heavy on the portage. Practice some portaging before your trip and make a decision on your choice.
I assume that you have the NFCT book and the maps.

 

[riverstrider]

Try to get Katina Danaan's Thru Paddler Guide Book...awesome information on the whole trail, with useful info for through-paddlers. There are advantages and disadvantages to early-late starts. Early starts have cold water, later starts have less water. Generally, though, less water works in your favor, especially for the upstream segments. Except for the South Branch Dead River, which no through-paddler has had enough water to run no matter when they start, just about every downstream segment can be paddled, even if some stretches get a little scratchy. So a late start may not be a bad thing, except for the bugs. Personally, I think your Royalex Explorer may be the perfect boat for such a trip since it can handle all sorts of water. I have used mine for many of the segments.

Don't scrimp on a good canoe cart...get something with no axle, that can hold a lot of weight, with at least 16-inch wheels. The trail eats up cheap canoe carts. And even some good carts.

Read the blogs on the NFCT website...a lot of good info there.

-rs

 

[yknpdlr]

I am only familiar with the NY section, which should be no problem in early June (except for the black flies). Warmer days of late June and July brings the addition of deer flies. There are 10 miles of carries from Old Forge to Saranac Lake, and a quite a few more miles ( depending on water level) before you reach Lake Champlain. I did my trip from Boonville to Plattsburgh (total 185 miles included 62 miles of carry) in a carbon/kevlar Hornbeck canoe. Royalex will be good for the bony sections of the lower Saranac River prior to Plattsburgh, but very heavy on some of the more difficult and rocky carries. Not all carries are cart friendly (notably Raquette Falls, but a cart will be a mostly welcome addition. The kind with high wheels and without a through axle are best for getting over rocks and roots. Potable water is not a problem if you have a filter or chemical treatment (such as PolarPure).

Choice of cooking method is up to you. Anything you have prior experience with will work. I normally use a hammock only, but tent sites are commonly available as well. The larger lakes may have large waves on windy days, and motorboats especially on weekends.

For a similar but different kind of challenge, consider doing the "Cannonball-90". Paddling 90 miles with carries all in the same day from Old Forge to Saranac Lake. Several of us do that annually, usually around the solstice date in June.

 

[Young-Grizz]

Thanks for the info! It's much appreciated

 

[Paddlinhal]

The Explorer should be fine. I soloed one from the Saint Lawrence through the heart of Maine to Penobscot Bay on a similar trip. Also with a folding cart that has 16" bike wheels. And a pole, though I was not that great at poling back then. Despite advice to the contrary, I trip through Maine regularly in June, because the water is at a good level. You'd be getting there in late July I guess. I swim most every day in June. I also have a bug jacket which is a necessity in early June. I was not able to get stove fuel for my pocket rocket along the trail last year so consider something that uses white gas or regular propane. Mail drops are always fun too for freeze-dried meals, home-made jerky, dried apples etc. (Folks do that on the Appalachian Trail all the time.) For more lame advice check out http://voodoocanoe.com/adventures/ffq/shakedown.htm for a description of our travelling riggin.

 

[yellowcanoe]

I wasn't advising against tripping in June. Just pointing out it can be buggy. But I was up on part of the Trail four days ago. The skeeters were out. So was the water. Youd have to walk the Dead from Rangeley to Eustis and across part of Flagstaff Lake which was bone dry.
I trip in Maine pretty much in May and June.. Already thinking of that ice out trip to Lobster Lake next may and a leisurely trip to Chesuncook..

 

[Iskweo]

YC...check this out...I had black flies last weekend....in October.

 

[Otter Creek]

Not sure if I'm too late joining this discussion, but I've only just joined the forum.

First off, Grizz - it sounds as though you have limited experience of canoe-camping (forgive me if I'm wrong). I recommend getting plenty of experience before embarking on a through-paddle. It will be a learning experience whatever, and you don't want to be doing all of the trial-and-error learning from scratch in a single journey. Getting advice here is a great start, but is no substitute for your own experience.

As riverstrider recommended, read the blogs of those who have been there. There's a wealth of information, and you can soon decide who is more your style of tripper, and therefore whose advice is most relevant to you. My own journal can be reached from the landing page of www.OtterCreekSmallcraft.com. It includes a comparison of what I planned with how things actually turned out, which is intended to be a learning tool for others (as well as for myself!)

A brief correction to riverstrider: I paddled the South Branch of the Dead River in early June on a 2013 through-paddle in a cedar-strip canoe. There were a very few places I had to wade where in a Royalex canoe I might have risked the drops, and I certainly picked up some scratches on shoals, but little that would not sand out afterwards. That was a particularly wet spring! It's true, however, to say that many paddlers have had to walk or shuttle this section.

If you're still looking for advice, I'm happy to have person-to-person discussions regarding NFCT paddling, so feel free to get in touch through the website above.

Good luck! (Or, if I'm too late, I hope it was a fantastic experience!)

 

[riverstrider]

Not sure if I'm too late joining this discussion, but I've only just joined the forum.


A brief correction to riverstrider: I paddled the South Branch of the Dead River in early June on a 2013 through-paddle in a cedar-strip canoe. There were a very few places I had to wade where in a Royalex canoe I might have risked the drops, and I certainly picked up some scratches on shoals, but little that would not sand out afterwards. That was a particularly wet spring! It's true, however, to say that many paddlers have had to walk or shuttle this section.

I stand corrected! Certainly a very wet spring or early summer was a factor, and I'm glad you got a chance to experience that stretch...The South Branch Dead River was a great run!

-rs