To DO List April 30th

• Figure out how to get into and out of Canada.  I sent the NFCT store an email today, and was told that those maps are on the way.  I understand that there is a road that follows the NFCT into and out of Canada, and there are boarder crossing stations at both locations.  I will know if this is true when I get the maps on Wednesday.
• Install a few new fittings on my kayak so that I can strap gear onto the deck behind the cockpit.  This should only take a few minutes.  I also just order a new seat.  I was told that it should only take a few minutes to install.
• Find a locator beacon.  I think I might go with Spot, but still need to look at my options again before I feel comfortable with this.
• Buy a mini laptop that I can use to access the Internet and post updates on my blog. I don't expect much Verizon cell phone coverage except in towns.  It would be cheaper to keep my company paid dumb phone and just get a mini laptop for Internet access.  I can use the laptop after the trail, but have no use for a smart phone.  Whether I go with this option will depend on what I find tonight.
• Buy a new kayak cart.  Chris (blog member) and I have been discussing options.  I agree that my C-Tug kayak cart is probably not a good option because it is all plastic, and there are about 50 miles of portages.  Chris recommended the Paddle Boy MityMite, which seems like a good option.  I need something I can strap to the deck of my kayak behind the cockpit.
• Complete a "wet" run with gear before putting in.
• Yeah, I have a few other things to do, but nothing too time consuming.  Mostly, I need to go through my checklist to make sure I have everything, and then to buy those items I do not have.  This is stuff I can get at Gander Mountain or at an outfitter in Old Forge, NY.

Hey, I'm making some progress!

Kayak Paddle



I will be reminded of the loons who can laugh even during rain and wind.



Cell Phone Coverage on the NFCT

Does anyone know what I can expect with cell phone coverage?  There was virtually no cell phone coverage in Maine when I did the AT in 2008.  It looks like the NFCT parallels the AT in some places.  Being on the water will also likely mean that there will be few line of sight locations between me and cell phone towers.  I think that cell phone coverage in the Adirondacks was very spotty when I did my recon trip last May.  Is buying a smart phone specifically for the trip a waste of money?  I already have a dumb phone that I can use when in towns.  Maybe it's best to just buy a GPS satellite device that I can use to let everyone know I'm OK each night, and that can call out for help if needed.

To DO List

I have less than a month, and I still have a few things to do:

• Figure out how to get into and out of Canada.  I can't find those maps, and just placed an order for them with the NFCT.  I understand the maps for those sections have instructions for boarder crossing.
• Make a single bladed paddle.  I just finished my second kayak paddle last night.  I made that one because I could only buy sitka spruce in sizes that make 3 kayak paddles.  The single bladed paddle will be my backup.  I can fasten it to the deck, and will use it if I lose or break my double bladed paddle.  Because I will be sitting so close to the water, I was thinking the single bladed paddle should have a short shaft and wider blade.
• Install a few new fittings on my kayak so that I can strap gear onto the deck behind the cockpit.
• Make drip guards for my kayak paddles so that I can keep my hands dry when paddling.  I think that wet hands will lead to blisters, which is one of my biggest concerns.
• Install a new seat in my kayak, and make new hatch covers. 
• Find a locator beacon.  I'm going to do a search today on a few camping websites to see if I can find one that most people agree works well.  Because this is a solo trip and cell phone coverage will be very spotty (I know from my experience on the AT), I would feel most comfortable with a means to communicate with the outside world.
• Buy a phone that I can use to access the Internet and post updates on my blog.
• Buy a water proof kayak spray skirt. 
• Buy a bug shirt.  I expect the bug to be most ferocious.
• Buy the "portage boy" kayak wheels.  I think that with a bracket that fits over the kayak, this brand of portage wheels will likely be better than the ones I currently have.  Although, the ones I have can be strapped on and off a little easier so I am not entirely sure which to use.

Pre-trip planning is not something that I do well.  On the AT, my only logistical planning was to get myself onto the trail.  I made due as I went along on the trail.  It seems likely that I will be able to do the same on the NFCT.  It looks like there are plenty of towns along the way to stop for supplies.  I'm a really bad hitch hiker so I'm hoping that I can minimize my need to hitch hike for supplies.

Kayak Paddle

I just finished shaping the first of the two kayak paddles that I intend to bring on the trip, and it feels very good in my hands.  It is a Greenland style Inuit double bladed paddle made from quarter sawn sitka spruce.  I prefer long thin bladed paddles over the wide spoon shaped paddles.  I find them to be easier on your hands and arms during long distances.  I also find them more versatile during different weather conditions.  By shifting the position of your hands on the paddle, you can help compensate for waves or winds that are blowing you in one direction.  In addition, they can be used to pole through shallow waters, and hold up tarps in the rain.

The one problem that I still need to solve is wet hands, which could lead to blisters.  I need a drip guard that most commercially sold paddles have.  This should be easy to solve.  I can either buy one or make one from a couple plastic bottles and duct tape.

The second paddle I intend to bring on the trip is a single bladed modified canoe paddle that I can keep strapped to my deck.  Because I will be sitting so close to the water in comparison to a canoe, I'm thinking that a shorter paddle would work well.  This would be a paddle I can switch to when I feel like doing something different or would be a backup if I were to break or lose my main paddle.

Shaping paddles is one of the most meditative things I've ever experienced.  It feels good to just let me hands work with little to no thought on my part.  My hands do all of the work as I watch as a bystander.  The work of planing is also very good exercise, and makes me realize how close it is for my departure.  I do nearly all of the work with a hand plane and spoke shave.