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photo provided by Jake Sexton
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photo provided by Jake Sexton
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photo provided by Jake Sexton
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photo provided by Jake Sexton
At 740 miles, the Northern Forest Canoe Trail is the longest inland water trail in the U.S.
In June, Hinckley resident Jake Sexton and West Akron resident Monty Fuss canoed the trail in a world-record time of 17 days and 15 hours. The journey transported them from New York to Maine, crossing about 40 lakes, streams and rivers. It took about 60 hours for the friends to build their own skin-on-frame tandem canoe, which involved stretching a durable fabric over a lightweight wooden frame.
Both canoers are avid outdoor enthusiasts and work at the Rock Mill in Akron, where they coach a competitive rock-climbing team. When they’re not outside, Sexton works as a Spanish teacher at Copley High School, and Fuss is a data analyst for Soprema.
“I grew up canoeing on the Cuyahoga River ... and was looking for something bigger,” Sexton says, “something like a trail where you started somewhere and ended somewhere else — an adventure. … It’s so epic and larger than life.”
On the memorable expedition, the pair caught glimpses of a moose and bald eagle. To clinch victory, they had to overcome challenges like conquering 3-foot waves, enduring five days of rain and portaging their canoe an arduous 14 miles. Here, the canoers share takeaways from their monumental adventure.
What were some of the best things you saw during your journey?
Jake Sexton: There were some epic views and sunsets. It was maybe 7, 8 o’clock one night, and the sun was going down. It looked like the world was on fire on the other side of this mountain. It looked like reds and oranges blowing up in the sky.
Monty Fuss: God, we had beautiful, beautiful sunsets.
What was a surprise?
MF: The lack of water in a lot of the rivers. A lot were difficult to float [on] because of the nature of our canoe. It’s a little bit more fragile than a typical canoe, so we were nervous about taking on some of the rivers. We bottomed out quite a bit.
JS: There are sections of the trails where you can’t filter the water because of agricultural runoff, so the water is kind of dirty in the river. It required us to carry a lot more water or take a big risk and carry less water than we should have. There were a lot of risky situations where we were running low on water.
Where did you stay?
JS: The last third of the trip — we were able to stay at actual campsites. Early on in the trip, a lot of times, we would just stop on the side of the portage trail or the side of the road on a pull-off and camp there. We stayed in a little town called Richford, Vermont, but that was the only town we stayed in. We almost caved and got a motel one night because we were cold and miserable, but our pride wouldn’t let us.
When did you become interested in canoeing?
JS: I grew up doing it. My dad canoed, and we’d always go to either lakes or go down the Cuyahoga. It was something that we did as a family, and it was always present in my life. It’s something that I’ve always enjoyed doing since I was little.
MF: For me, it’s a more recent interest. Last year, when Jake was talking about it, that bug got in my ear. It’s another avenue for adventure.
Where are some great places to canoe in The 330?
MF: The Cuyahoga is a good place to go, and there’s tons of lakes in the area. Nimisila Reservoir and the Headwaters Trail are probably my favorites.
JS: The Ohio Division of Wildlife has a lot of information online about small water trails and rivers in the area.
What else do you enjoy doing outdoors?
JS: We both enjoy rock climbing, hiking, backpacking and being outside in general.
MF: Climbing for me will always be a passion of mine. The more secluded I can be — the happier I am out in nature.
What advice would you give to someone wishing to canoe the Northern Forest trail?
JS: To take your time. … We were trying to set a speed record. We also talked to people doing it in 45 days. I’d tell people to plan a monthlong trip and enjoy the journey.
MF: Plan on the trail being more than what you’d expect. It was more beautiful and more difficult. There were sections that were fascinating and some that were boring.
What’s something you will always remember from the trip?
MF: The remoteness in northern Maine was gorgeous, and it was a special place because you really didn’t see anyone there. There could be days before we ran into another soul, and that was really special. It makes you feel like you’re the last people on Earth.
JS: What I’ll always reminisce [about] the most is the moments where you’re on the verge of doing something dangerous or pushing your skill level. With the trip, when we’d get off the water after encountering dangerous waves, we’d think, Oof, that was crazy, but we did it.
[ Molly Hoffer is a senior journalism major and creative writing minor at Kent State University. ]
