740-miles in a day event this Saturday

ST. JOHN VALLEY - The towns along the Northern Forest Canoe Trail are celebrating the 740-mile trail connecting Old Forge, New York, to Fort Kent, Maine with the Second Annual 740 Miles in One Day event.

LOG YOUR MILES - The towns along the Northern Forest Canoe Trail are celebrating the route that connects Old Forge, New York with Fort Kent, Maine on July 30 by encouraging people to come out to their local section of the trail and travel a few miles, then log those miles with the NFCT website. - Birden image

Organizer Kevin Mack said, "It's a call and an opportunity for people to get out on the river or the lake and go at their own pace."

Most people in the St. John Valley hear about the few paddlers that have managed to complete the entire trail in one go, a task that takes six to ten weeks.  This event allows the people living along the route of rivers and lakes to have a chance to become a part of the 740-mile experience.  Mack said, "It's the other side of the story of the thru-paddler."

Here's how it works:

• On July 30, paddlers at locations along the entire length of the trail will hop into their canoes or kayaks and paddle for a mile, 10 miles, 17.2 miles...whatever length works for the people participating.
• Afterwards, people should report their mileage by sending it in to 740@northernforestcanoetrail.org.  The organization will need the where a person paddled, how many total miles they paddled and how many people were on the outing.  The deadline for reporting will be the close of business on Monday, August 1.
• There are also ways to upload videos and images of the day to the northernforestcanoetrail.org website.

Interested paddlers should register in order for the NFCT organization to know how many paddlers are on the water that day.

Mack said it's not just about sending a canoe or kayak along the water for miles.  He said, "It can also be a great day out with family and friends.