NFCT Announces 2024 Thru-Paddler Roster

Monty Fuss, left, and Jacob Sexton at the Eastern Terminus of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail in Fort Kent, Maine. The duo completed the canoe trail in 2024. (Photo provided by Jacob Sexton.)

The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) has announced its official roster of 2024 thru-paddlers.

The NFCT, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, is a mapped inland water trail tracing 740 miles of Indigenous and historic travel routes across New York, Vermont, Québec, New Hampshire, and Maine. The canoe trail starts in Old Forge, N.Y., and ends in Fort Kent, Maine, traversing 23 rivers and streams, 59 lakes and ponds, 45 communities and towns, and more than 65 portages. In 2024, 12 individuals were recognized as having paddled the NFCT from end to end.

“A 740-mile thru-paddle requires grit, skill, attention to detail, and above all, perhaps, a relentlessly positive attitude,” said Karrie Thomas, the NFCT’s executive director. “Paddling 20 miles in one day is a grueling task. To do that for over a month straight is a feat worthy of commendation. Our team sends its congratulations to this year’s class of thru-paddlers — this is an inspirational crew.”

Thru-paddling involves traversing the NFCT by paddlecraft, downstream and upstream via flatwater, whitewater, and overland, through deep wilderness and trail town communities. To be recognized as an NFCT thru-paddler, individuals must complete the entire route as one expedition during a single season. They are also required to formally register their trip for thru-paddler status.

Thru-paddlers are classified in two categories: those who complete the trail from west to east self-propelled, and those who complete the trail west to east supported by shuttles. The following individuals completed the NFCT self-propelled in 2024:

Monty Fuss, Akron, Ohio
Eli Idec, Dallas, Pa.
Adin Jacobs-Johnson, Argyle, N.Y.
Duncan Lumia, Dallas, Pa.
Fiona Morrison, Harvard, Mass.
Chrissy Noble, Berkshire, N.Y.
Jan Ptacek, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Jacob Sexton, Hinckley, Ohio
BobbiJo Tallon, Berkshire, N.Y.

The following individuals completed the NFCT in 2024 supported by shuttles:

Syd Levy, Wyo.
Cade Marshall-Bowman, Wyo.
Mack Truax, Lowell, Mich.

“Our team sends a special congratulations and its gratitude to Mack Truax in particular,” said Chris Morris, the NFCT’s communications and outreach director. “For the past ten years, Mack has returned to the canoe trail over and over, documenting every step, sharing his adventures with our community, providing tips, and being an exemplary member of the outdoor recreation community. When people seek advice, Mack always listens and helps without judgement. Mack has stated that 2024 was his last journey on the NFCT, but we will welcome him back if he decides to come out of retirement one day.”

An April 16 virtual session featured presentations by Adin Jacobs-Johnson, BobbiJo Tallon, and Jacob Sexton. It was recorded and posted to the NFCT’s YouTube Channel the following day.

“Things that were once mentally or physically challenging to me now seem like a walk in the park after completing that trail,” Jacobs-Johnson said of his thru-paddle.

“I would say that the biggest takeaway of my thru-paddle is the confirmation of the goodness of people,” Sexton said. “My paddling partner and I were continually stopped to ask if we needed help, wanted a ride, water or bug spray. We were offered food, given direction, and hospitality. People are, I believe, inherently good, and we do not always see that in our day to day lives.”

“The NFCT is an experience of a lifetime that clings to every inch of your mind, body and soul,” Tallon said.

For more information about the NFCT, visit northernforestcanoetrail.org.

About Northern Forest Canoe Trail

The Northern Forest Canoe Trail is a nonprofit organization that maintains and promotes the 740-mile water trail that runs from Old Forge, NY, to Fort Kent, Maine, and connects New York, Vermont, Quebec, New Hampshire, and Maine. The trail showcases the mix of landscapes and communities currently lining the traditional routes used by Indigenous peoples, settlers, and guides. It is the longest in-land water trail in the nation and consists of 23 rivers and streams, 59 lakes and ponds, 45 communities, and 65 portages. To learn more, visit northernforestcanoetrail.org.