http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/109658.html
Well the "bar" has been set, who is going to beat it?
Well the "bar" has been set, who is going to beat it?
First unsupported kayak of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail
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Amicus
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I joined NFCT and bought five of their terrific maps several years ago. I love looking at them, which is mainly all I've done with them so far, sad to say. The two that cover the Allagash area were very useful when a bunch of us paddled there a few years ago. They showed every organized campsite, accurately and with details on number of tentsites, etc.
Kayak v. canoe for this may not be such an obvious choice. A canoe certainly simplifies cargo, but for portages and the Dead River, I'd take a 'yak any day.
I'd like to do this when I no longer have to work for a living, but wonder if I'll still be sufficiently intact then.
Kayak v. canoe for this may not be such an obvious choice. A canoe certainly simplifies cargo, but for portages and the Dead River, I'd take a 'yak any day.
I'd like to do this when I no longer have to work for a living, but wonder if I'll still be sufficiently intact then.
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Nessmuk
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You're right, it is not obvious. You'll have to explain to me how a kayak is easier to portage than a canoe. I've done the entire NY section of the trail all the way to the Plattsburgh ferry, actually plus an extra 40 miles by beginning with hike/paddle that far west of the Old Forge entry point. With a canoe, unsupported, of course. Lots and lots of portaging.
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sardog1
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Yeah, what he said.
Amicus
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Merely extrapolating from my own experience, as most of us do. I've been happily paddling my one and only 'yak - a Perception Dancer XT, about 12 feet long, I'd guess, and "slalom" type - since '89 on a variety of lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and tricklets in the eastern US. On the smaller bodies, I have to portage less often than when I'm canoeing, pulling myself over beaver dams and the like. When I do portage, I just get out, pick it up and carry it. It is far lighter and less cumbersome than most canoes.
Of course, it has virtually no cargo space. I have nevertheless taken it on many 3- or 4-day river campers with friends, by the simple expedient of stowing my gear in one of the canoes in our flotilla.
Would this work for a solo traverse of the 740 miles of the NFCT? Not unless it is more thickly interspersed with motels than I'd like to imagine.
(I happen to be reading A Walk in the Woods, where Bryson and his pal Katz seem to be spending every other night in a Dixie flea-bag, and happy to be able to.) I do note from the photo that Mr. Whitney paddled a much bigger touring kayak.
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spider solo
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nice story
Nice link to the story. He did good toughing it out the whole way!
I've been yaking up through some of the Maine sections..it's true bears do swim fast and maybe a bit more than we are inclined to think.
There are certainly some times I wish I were in a canoe. Esp the other day watching a group portage their canoes then throwing the gear bags in and taking off. For me it slows way down having to repack everything under the hull.
I can see different methods of packing as well as launchings. I think it was the portage between Lake Richarson and Mooslookmeguntic. There was a brand new dock area for the NFCT, but as I carried my boat over to it I realized it was of no use to me.
Built perfectly for a canoe to pull up, off load their gear and step up onto the dock. I was glad they built it, but smiled at the thought that it may not have crossed their mind it wouldn't help other types of paddlers.
.....different portage, a young outward bound fellow, co-leading a group through the Moose River area up by Jackman Me. He asked how I carried the kayak and I said much like you carry a canoe.
A mile later I was dragging that kayak on the ground over rocks and everything...thinking "if that fellow shows up again I'm going to pick this yak up over my head like I have many a time before and walk on by like I wasn't even breaking a sweat..hoping he was doing much the same. ..Looking good an strong...at least when in sight of anybody...then grunt and groan through the rest of the portage when nobodys looking.
It wouldn't much matter Canoe or Kayak. I would'nt care to much one way or the other..truth be known... I would have liked to be 30 yrs younger... like that other fellow....
Nice link to the story. He did good toughing it out the whole way!
I've been yaking up through some of the Maine sections..it's true bears do swim fast and maybe a bit more than we are inclined to think.
There are certainly some times I wish I were in a canoe. Esp the other day watching a group portage their canoes then throwing the gear bags in and taking off. For me it slows way down having to repack everything under the hull.
I can see different methods of packing as well as launchings. I think it was the portage between Lake Richarson and Mooslookmeguntic. There was a brand new dock area for the NFCT, but as I carried my boat over to it I realized it was of no use to me.
Built perfectly for a canoe to pull up, off load their gear and step up onto the dock. I was glad they built it, but smiled at the thought that it may not have crossed their mind it wouldn't help other types of paddlers.
.....different portage, a young outward bound fellow, co-leading a group through the Moose River area up by Jackman Me. He asked how I carried the kayak and I said much like you carry a canoe.
A mile later I was dragging that kayak on the ground over rocks and everything...thinking "if that fellow shows up again I'm going to pick this yak up over my head like I have many a time before and walk on by like I wasn't even breaking a sweat..hoping he was doing much the same. ..Looking good an strong...at least when in sight of anybody...then grunt and groan through the rest of the portage when nobodys looking.
It wouldn't much matter Canoe or Kayak. I would'nt care to much one way or the other..truth be known... I would have liked to be 30 yrs younger... like that other fellow....
DougPaul
Well-known member
The Dead isn't bad if you have the appropriate white water skills--mostly Class 2 and 3 drops at reasonable water levels.
I've done it a number of times in a canoe, both solo and tandem.
Doug
MarshallM
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Am going to have to agree with with Nessmuk and sardog1 on the portaging issue.
Of course, as was mentioned, a huge advantage of using a canoe on the NFCT is cargo space. In fact, it should theoretically be possible to complete the entire 740 miles in a full-size tandem canoe (paddled solo, if not tandem) with no food drops like one would have to do on a true wilderness trip. I could be mistaken, but i'm guessing that the kayaker in the story did not embark on his journey with 64 days of food in his boat. I'll certainly tip my cap if he did.
Also, the 150+ or so miles of upstream travel, in the New England sections alone, would generally be signicantly easier in a canoe than a kayak. I've done much of the NFCT east of the Connecticut River (NH & ME), and long stetches of Spencer/Little Spencer Streams, and the Upper Ammonoosuc and Androscoggin Rivers can be poled. The leverage one can achieve while standing in a canoe and pushing off the bottom with a pole against strong current usually far exceeds what can be done with a paddle.
On the other hand, i'll have to concede that kayaks have a nice advantage on large wind-swept lakes.
marshall
PS. Small point, but unless the NFCT route has recently changed, the 16-mile Dead River whitewater section is unfortunately not part of the trail. The NFCT leaves the Dead and goes north up Spencer Stream just above the standard put-in for the classic Dead River whitewater run.
Of course, as was mentioned, a huge advantage of using a canoe on the NFCT is cargo space. In fact, it should theoretically be possible to complete the entire 740 miles in a full-size tandem canoe (paddled solo, if not tandem) with no food drops like one would have to do on a true wilderness trip. I could be mistaken, but i'm guessing that the kayaker in the story did not embark on his journey with 64 days of food in his boat. I'll certainly tip my cap if he did.
Also, the 150+ or so miles of upstream travel, in the New England sections alone, would generally be signicantly easier in a canoe than a kayak. I've done much of the NFCT east of the Connecticut River (NH & ME), and long stetches of Spencer/Little Spencer Streams, and the Upper Ammonoosuc and Androscoggin Rivers can be poled. The leverage one can achieve while standing in a canoe and pushing off the bottom with a pole against strong current usually far exceeds what can be done with a paddle.
On the other hand, i'll have to concede that kayaks have a nice advantage on large wind-swept lakes.
marshall
PS. Small point, but unless the NFCT route has recently changed, the 16-mile Dead River whitewater section is unfortunately not part of the trail. The NFCT leaves the Dead and goes north up Spencer Stream just above the standard put-in for the classic Dead River whitewater run.
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chinooktrail
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Wow, great story! Way to go Gil!
67 days is a long time to do anything solo, regardless of your mode of transportation.
Sounds like he had the water way version of 'trail magic' though, very nice to remember there are still a lot of kind people in the world.
It said he started out with 30 days worth of food, so he must have resupplied a few times. It also stated that he lost 27 pounds, so he probably wasn't eating a whole lot!
Especially after walking 5 hours a day, and every other day carrying a 30# pack to prepare for the trip, he must not have had a lot left to lose.
Quite an inspiration.
Thanks for posting the link.
67 days is a long time to do anything solo, regardless of your mode of transportation.
Sounds like he had the water way version of 'trail magic' though, very nice to remember there are still a lot of kind people in the world.
It said he started out with 30 days worth of food, so he must have resupplied a few times. It also stated that he lost 27 pounds, so he probably wasn't eating a whole lot!
Especially after walking 5 hours a day, and every other day carrying a 30# pack to prepare for the trip, he must not have had a lot left to lose.
Quite an inspiration.
Thanks for posting the link.
Amicus
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It will surprise no one that I had given no serious thought to actually paddling the length of the NFCT or any significant chunk of it. Strictly idle "wouldn't it be cool. . ." daydreaming until now, but this fellow's exploit, especially in light of his age and imperfect health, does get me thinking.
My little slalom 'yak would be best, I'm convinced, in every respect but two, as it cuts through headwinds like no canoe ever could, turns on a dime in rapids and is a cinch to carry on portages. It would, however, yield the palm on upstream stretches to someone who can pole a canoe (not me, but that's one of the many skills I'd like to acquire).
Its other shortfall would be its complete lack of cargo space. I'd have to hope for several unbroken months of perfect weather - unlikely, I think. I'd also have to learn how to subsist on riverbank weeds, perhaps gorging every now and then when civilization obtrudes and some eatery can be seen from the water. Food-drops would be an alternative but cumbersome to arrange, and detracting from the "I did it my way" solo magnificence of the accomplishment.
So maybe a canoe would be better.
My little slalom 'yak would be best, I'm convinced, in every respect but two, as it cuts through headwinds like no canoe ever could, turns on a dime in rapids and is a cinch to carry on portages. It would, however, yield the palm on upstream stretches to someone who can pole a canoe (not me, but that's one of the many skills I'd like to acquire).
Its other shortfall would be its complete lack of cargo space. I'd have to hope for several unbroken months of perfect weather - unlikely, I think. I'd also have to learn how to subsist on riverbank weeds, perhaps gorging every now and then when civilization obtrudes and some eatery can be seen from the water. Food-drops would be an alternative but cumbersome to arrange, and detracting from the "I did it my way" solo magnificence of the accomplishment.
So maybe a canoe would be better.
ALGonquin Bob
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Great accomplishment, but a 40-lb. kayak isn't something I'd want to carry on one shoulder for long. Many solo canoes weigh less. My 55-lb. canoe is much easier to carry on a yoke over my head than my 40-lb. rec. kayak on my hip or over one shoulder.
IndianChris
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I'm with you there Bob.
The yoke on the shoulders with a few dry bags over the back and you've got a one man band. The Wenonah Argosy works well with that type of travel I've found. Although something lighter would be, well...lighter.
The good thing about a slightly heavier boat though is they can take a beating a little better I think.
PHEEnominal accomplishment though to the man in the kayak. I'm sure most of us can only dream of doing the NFCT continuously in one fell swoop. At least I hope I'm not the only one.
The yoke on the shoulders with a few dry bags over the back and you've got a one man band. The Wenonah Argosy works well with that type of travel I've found. Although something lighter would be, well...lighter.
The good thing about a slightly heavier boat though is they can take a beating a little better I think.
PHEEnominal accomplishment though to the man in the kayak. I'm sure most of us can only dream of doing the NFCT continuously in one fell swoop. At least I hope I'm not the only one.
MarshallM
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Regardless of Gil's water craft of choice, he should certainly be congratulated given that he completed the trip with a heart condition and was also the oldest to do so. Mighty inspirational, i'd say.
marshall
marshall
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