OLD FORGE, N.Y. (WETM) – It was a summer full of travel for three local men. Steve, Jerred, and Jeff just returned from a 55-day long canoe journey from Old Forge, New York to Fort Kent, Maine. It was a bucket list trip that has been years in the making.

“Steve and I went on a camping trip, and we talked about it over time,” explained Jeff. “I knew he had always been interested in going on the trail. We continued to discuss it and by November, we decided we were going.”

The trail they are referring to is the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. The men traveled over 700 miles going through states such as New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and even slightly into Canada.

“Nothing prepares you for a 750 miles canoe trip,” Steve explained.

Steve along with the other men spent much of their time researching the trail and gathering supplies they would need for their journey. They knew there would be hiccups along the way, and one of the biggest ones ended up being all of the rain we received the last two months.

“Weather was a big factor in a lot of what we had to deal with,” said Jerred. “It was a lot of rain, and the current would get high. We’d end up having to walk a little further than we thought we were.”

The men all felt extremely accomplished even after all of the mishaps along the way. They say it’s something they would definitely do again.

“It’s kind of impressive when you think about it. In 2022, there were only 11 people who completed the thru paddle,” Jeff said. “It’s awesome that we are now part of the group for 2023.”