Old Forge, NY, Oct 06, 2010 — A New Jersey woman spent most of this summer paddling from the Adirondacks to Maine. Cathy Mumford is the first woman to solo through-paddle the entire 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail. During her 62-day kayak odyssey she passed through 22 rivers and streams, 56 miles of lakes, 55 miles of portages in 62 carries and three national wildlife refuges. The trail crosses northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Quebec. NFCT officials say fewer than 30 paddlers have completed the full length of water trail in a single trip, since it was completed in 2006. Mumford grew up along the shores of a reservoir in Colts Neck, New Jersey. With her children grown, and after being laid off from her job, Mumford wanted to take a long-distance kayak trip that would allow for some soul-searching. Now, she plans to share the challenge of wilderness tripping with young women, and write about her experiences. Todd Moe spoke with Mumford about the summer trek, celebrating her 50th birthday on the water and relying on her 9-foot plastic kayak, nicknamed "Sparky".  Go to full article

Old Forge, NY, Sep 28, 2010 — An Old Forge couple spent most of this spring and summer outdoors. Catherine and Ryan Thompson paddled the Northern Forest Canoe Trail from Old Forge to Maine, and then hiked the entire Appalachian Trail. They began the nearly 3,000 mile journey from the Adirondacks to Georgia, by canoe and foot, in April. They finished their trek last Thursday. This was their fourth backpacking adventure together. Todd Moe talks with them about life on the water and trail.  Go to full article

Dec 27, 2005 — Commentator Betsy Kepes and her family are taking a year off from their regular jobs in northern New York. They're traveling and doing volunteer work. Their first adventure brought them to the Deep South.  Go to full article