Rollin’ Down the River with Carrabec High School
Mason Daugherty (left) and Maine guide Tammy Long (right) with students from Carrabec High School.
Story by Eva Dodge, Teens to Trails YAC member
This summer, six Maine high schools are exploring the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) with professional guides. The 700-mile trail, which spans from New York to Maine, is the longest inland water trail in the nation. Teens to Trails’ goal is to have local students collectively explore 347-miles of the Maine portion of the trail in sections.
On June 11th, students from Carrabec High School in Anson set out to paddle the Flagstaff Lake portion of the NFCT. The trip was led by their English teacher and Maine guide, Tammy Long, as well as Teens to Trails’ intern and Bowdoin College (2025) student, Mason Daugherty. The group paddled 30-miles over three clear sunny days.
Daugherty, who is originally from Texas, said trips similar to this one are not easily accessible in his home state. This made him feel connected to the students who joined the trip, which was designed to introduce them all to paddling and camping in the wilderness. Tammy Long, who has loved the natural world since childhood, said this trip furthered her passion for the outdoors and working with teenagers.
When asked about his favorite moments, what first came to mind for Daugherty were the times where everyone fell quiet paddling. He said that being on the water, in the silence, and enjoying a glorious view of the Bigelows, was like being in a meditative state. For Long, she said the tipping point was “the moment my students stopped holding their phones over their heads hoping for a bar of service and put them away, so that they could truly engage in the experience.” More than anything, Long enjoyed watching her students be present with each other in nature, which is what Teens to Trails’ mission is all about.
While the weather conditions were stellar, and the bugs were few, trips like this one inevitably have ups and downs. One challenge the group encountered was finding a campsite on their second night. They paddled 13 miles that day, and two of the campsites they planned to stay at were already occupied. Long was proud of the group’s perseverance in this moment. One of her students said, “Well, there’s nothing left to do but get back in the boats and keep on paddling to the next site!" Despite challenges like this one, Long and Daughtery said the entire group worked well together and had a great experience overall.
For future trips, Daugherty said he would prefer students to not have phones or speakers on hand, even though he noticed phone usage diminish as the trip progressed. For Long, she hopes to reserve campsites ahead of time for future long distance trips.
When asked what song they felt best represented the trip, Long said Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Proud Mary. She chose this song because one of her students played it on repeat. The lyrics of the beloved classic, include “rollin’ down the river,” and made Long smile every time it played. Daugherty couldn’t pick just one song, but he believes the entire Fleetwood Mac discography is a good fit for its coming-of-age vibes.
With the trip behind them, both leaders are looking forward to spending more time outdoors this summer, with Daugherty taking time to explore more of the Maine wilderness, and Long seizing every opportunity to spend a night under the stars.
Teens to Trails sincerely thanks Daugherty and Long for leading the trip, as well as the Maine Department of Education’s Maine Outdoor Learning Grant for making this trip possible!
American Rescue Plan Act GEER, Reverted EANS Funding received from the USDOE support the implementation of this project. The project has an award totaling $6.6 million dollars of which 100% is federally funded and directly attributed to project implementation. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by the USDOE or the U.S. Government.
