Paddling Through the Unexpected: Lessons from a Maine Canoe Expedition

Raindrops the Size of Gumdrops

The first morning on Maine’s Northern Forest Canoe Trail was full of promise. Aaron Black-Schmidt and his trio of seasoned paddlers—wilderness guide Zand Martin, Canoe & Kayak editor Dave Shively, and photographer David Jackson—launched their canoes into the calm waters of Flagstaff Lake, prepared for a multiday journey through wild country.

They had done everything right. Route mapped. Weather checked. PFDs snug, drybags packed, rain gear handy. The sky was blue, spirits were high.

But as every paddler knows, Mother Nature doesn't always follow the forecast.

A couple of hours into the paddle, the lake’s surface shifted. A dark wall of cloud surged over the treetops like a sudden curtain. Then came the rain. Not a drizzle—this was a full-blown squall, gumball-sized drops hammering down hard enough to rebound off the water and into their boats. “It hit us like a ton of bricks,” Aaron recalls. “We didn’t see it coming.”

Fortunately, there was no lightning, and the wind wasn’t as severe as the rain. Rain gear zipped tight, the paddlers continued. When they finally reached Hurricane Island, the clouds began to part. By sunset, gear was drying on branches, and laughter crackled around the campfire.

The storm left its mark, not in disaster, but as a reminder to always pay close attention to the weather. “Know your limits. Always go prepared,” Aaron says. “Keep your rain gear accessible, and use every forecasting tool available, including weather apps and radio bulletins when you’re out of cell phone range.

As Aaron puts it, “The more prepared and experienced you are, the more places the canoe can take you. And those challenges? They’re what make the memories stick.”

Watch the journey unfold in Episode One: YouTube Link