Stories of a Dirty Traveler

During the summer of 2024, I found myself working for the great Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) – an organization that maintains a 740 mile route that begins in Old Forge, New York and ends in Fork Kent, Maine. Passing through 23 rivers & streams, 59 lakes and ponds and challenging paddlers with almost 70 miles of carries, or “portages”.

I started my work with the NFCT as a Stewardship Intern on their “Allagash Crew”. A group of young college kids looking to fill their internship credentials for their schools – and me, a 26 year old nature lover that recently quit his job, left his apartment and decided to live more purposefully. I was lucky to land the job that would bring me to the North Maine Woods of the incredible Allagash Wilderness Waterway. A 92.5 miles series of lakes leading to the famous Allagash River. The final stretch of the NFCT.

My crew consisted of Crew Leader Ethan and Crew-mates Audrey, Henry, Evan and myself. Our job? We would be stationed at various camp sites near Chamberlain Lake, completing a number of stewardship projects to help improve and maintain campsites. We spent the summer building stone steps, removing dead roots that became tripping hazards, brushing in new privy trails and even creating an accessible campsite for folks with mobility issues to enjoy. At times the work was tough, the days were long & hot, the bugs relentless and the rain inescapable. It was pure bliss.

When we were not working, we passed our time paddling on glassy waters at sunset, looking for magnificent wildlife, watching the sun paint the sky the most dazzling of colors and enjoying the rare opportunity of spending such extended time in the wilderness. We listened to songbirds at the crack of each dawn, heard the loons wailing us to sleep and connected with the natural world in ways that none of us had ever done before.

We did practically everything together, sharing the camaraderie of a lifestyle most would be uncomfortable with. 60 days without proper showers or laundry, sleeping in our tents each night, cooking huddled next to one another under a 18’x30′ tarp hiding from torrential downpours. We grew closer than we ever could have imagined, nearly able to read each other’s minds by the end of our hitch. Of course some days were harder than others, but we always knew we had good folks to rely on and help us get through tough times. We all agreed it was the most rewarding summers of our lives.

We worked long 10 day hitches and were rewarded with much needed 4 day weekends. Typically we would send 2 of us out into civilization to resupply on food, sunscreen & bug spray. Stopping in a McDonald’s wasn’t even a question. It was often strange returning to civilization after being so disconnected for so long. The thing in our pockets that were once glued in our hands became more of a burden. The longer we spent in the woods, the more we hated reconnecting, although it was nice letting our loved ones back home that we were in good shape and good spirits. We were more than happy to lose service on the long drive back home.

We would regroup after the supply run, stash any un-needed gear and head out on a nice long canoe trip to explore the regions of the Allagash outside our immediate work area. We paddled the Allagash River north to Umsaskis Lake and camped on the lovely “Ledges” campsite, or headed south towards Eagle Lake and spent a relaxing weekend at “Lone Pine”. Everywhere we went was filled with an overwhelming sense of wonder. Following moose tracks blindly into the forest, looking for chaga on birch trees, finding wild berries and flowers to feed our souls (and bellies). We would find unnamed tributaries on maps and paddle them until the water was no longer deep enough to keep our boats afloat, then we would continue on foot until the thickets became impassable.

Before we could realize, our summer was drawing to a close. The days were getting shorter, the thrushes had all but migrated away and there was a slight chill in the evening breeze. The first half of the summer felt like it would never end, then suddenly we only had one work stint left and soon it would be time to return to the “real” world.

The impression that the Allagash left on each of us was one of profound connection: to one another, nature & the beautiful world around us, ourselves and our passions. As the summer came to an end, all of us left the Allagash more fulfilled than we could ever have imagined. But the Allagash would stay with all of us, always and forever.