Canoe & Kayak Magazine “Dream Your Adventure Contest”

One Dream, One Extraordinary Journey, Once in a Lifetime…

Help Me with Paddle Quest!
A 1,500-Mile Solo Canoe & Kayak Expedition
-Northern Forest Canoe Trail to Maine Island Trail via Canada-

Water is in my blood! An avid canoe and kayak paddler, I’ve made first-descents, competed in the World Cup and World Championships as a member of the United States Canoe & Kayak Team and I guide sea kayak expeditions and whitewater raft trips. The best mornings are when I wake up and…paddle!

I Need Your Support to embark on a first-ever canoe and kayak journey over the historic Native American travel routes of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail from New York’s Adirondack Mountains to Maine, into Canada’s Saint John River and the Bay of Fundy and down the Atlantic coast to complete the Maine Island Trail.

This is an adventure of epic proportions to fulfill my dream of living out of my boat experiencing wild rivers, the volatile ocean, unpredictable weather, diverse wildlife, unique people, quaint backwoods towns and rugged working-waterfront villages along the way; all in one extraordinary 1,500-mile canoe and kayak journey!

The Water Trails. And that Extra 370 miles…I’ve always dreamed of canoeing the Northern Forest Canoe Trail and kayaking the Maine Island Trail. I could do one, and later, the other. But that’s not “epic”. I could do them back-to-back, but going from the Canoe Trail to the Island Trail would require a 250-mile 5½ -hour shuttle drive. But I’m not a fan of long shuttles and I love to paddle!

So why not connect the two water trails by paddling down the Saint John River to the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada, hang a right and paddle to the start of the Maine Island Trail? It adds about 370 miles, making the expedition total around 1,500 miles. That’s a nice round number, and there’s something about putting on the water in New York’s Adirondacks with a canoe and not taking out until arriving at Maine’s southern coast in a kayak that is truly epic, and exhilarating!

I love rugged, remote wild places and I love the outdoors! My career has been steeped in the outdoors. Among other endeavors, I’ve owned a whitewater rafting company and developed outdoor retailer L.L.Bean’s outdoor programs. I currently own the specialty organic coffee company, Adventurous Joe Coffee LLC. (Not only amazing coffee, but we do cool stuff. Check it out! www.AdventurousJoeCoffee.com)

I have never been able to carve out the time needed for an epic adventure such as this. But now I can with the support of family, friends and colleagues to whom I am so very grateful!

Spring of 2016, when I push-off from shore on this great adventure, I will be 18-years old with another 42-years of experience. It’s just another mile-marker on my life’s trail, but it’s a great occasion for an epic adventure!

I Need to Do This, But It’s Not All About Me. I am Paddling with a Purpose; Doing something that matters!
A professional guide or outfitter all my life, I have witnessed people’s life-changing experiences on our wild rivers, the ever-dynamic oceans and our unspoiled lands. I am proud to have facilitated these formative life-events for literally, thousands of people. But, I’m not done!

Completing the expedition, I plan talks and presentations about my journey and I hope to inspire people, including young people, to participate in canoeing, kayaking and the outdoors generally. I hope to get them excited and help to get them out there living their own adventures!

When people connect with the natural world through outdoor adventures, it fosters a passion for conserving and stewarding those resources. Igniting that passion is what fuels me. I want to make a difference and I hope this expedition will be a platform for inspiring and empowering others.

Supporting Recreation, Conservation and Stewardship: This expedition will promote the unique and nationally significant recreational resources of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail and the Maine Island Trail and the national efforts of organizations like American Rivers, the Ocean Conservancy and the Land Trust Alliance for their conservation and stewardship activism.

Join Me! I plan blogging daily with details of the day’s, high-points, low-points and my coordinates so my journey can be followed in real-time. I will encourage followers and friends to stop by my route to wish me well or to wet a paddle and join-in for a stretch.

Vote Early and Vote Often!
In order for this to happen, I need your help! Vote for my “Dream Adventure” and share. Please ask your friends to vote, too.

You can vote once a day, every day, and the Dream Adventure with the most votes between June 21 and July 21 will win! Vote every morning while you sip your first cup of coffee! That’s when I’ll be training!

Here is a link to my Canoe & Kayak Magazine Dream Your Adventure entry: http://wshe.es/nbVubbej

Thank you!

John

John Connelly