Outdoor Clubs Return to the Northern Forest Canoe Trail
Late last month, six students and five adults from Spruce Mountain and Oak Hill High Schools joined Teens to Trails' Nate Snow for a six day canoe trip along the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, paddling through sun, wind, and a bit of rain.
The group started at Rangeley Lakes State Park, camping there for two nights while learning basic canoe skills and water safety. From there they paddled across Rangeley Lake to Oquossuc and made the portage to Mooselookmeguntic Lake with shuttle support from Rangeley HS principal Seth Laliberte. The group battled some headwinds before setting up camp on Shelter Island.
The next day dawned with some more headwinds and a short-ish paddle to a beautiful campsite near Upper Dam. The fifth day was the longest but featured a much more favorable wind. The team completed a short paddle on Mooselookmeguntic, a portage around Upper Dam to Upper Richardson Lake, and then paddled the entire length of Upper and Lower Richardson to their final destination at South Arm Campground, arriving tired and hungry, but exceptionally proud of their accomplishments.
For several of the students, it was their first time canoeing, and for a few, their first nights camping outdoors. It's always a pleasure to watch students explore new places outdoors, inspiring a sense of awe and adventure, and come away asking when they can get out and do it again.
Special thanks to our partners at the Ferguson Foundation for providing funding to make this trip a reality, as well as our friends at the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, and especially to Oak Hill Outing Club Advisors Tim Farrar and Nicole Camire, who jumped in at the last minute to plan and lead the trip. Nicole was instrumental in pulling the trip together on short notice, handling logistics like shuttles and meal planning, and putting in hours of prep work beforehand. On the trail, she kept camp running smoothly and made sure the group was organized, fed, and set up to succeed each day.
Thanks to everyone who came on and contributed to the success of this unforgettable trip!
Photo Credits: Cherry Poirier + Nate Snow
