Canoeing Plans for 2026?

Only plan is to get on the water every chance I get. Mostly local lakes but I'd like to do the Allegheny Water Trail and the Clarion River but the water flow on both can be a narrow window.

Probably mostly local paddling. My son turned 18 last week, and we are doing a big "coming of age" trip this year. Unfortunately, work would not let me have 7 uninterrupted weeks of PTO, so our original prospect of doing the NFCT went kerput. Now it looks like a 4-week driving tour of Canada and the northern US, with the furthest point being Deadhorse, AK. Hopefully we can do a little rental based canoing along the way, maybe a couple short overnighters.

I’m making a bit of a career change this year and to kick it off am doing a special trip. I’m hoping to be out for 7 to 8 weeks travelling from the Winnipeg area to Sault Saint Marie via the Path of the Paddle route and then Lake Superior. This is a fairly local trip for me so costs will be minimal and there will be lots of great history to learn along the way. As primarily a river tripper in the past, I’m really looking forward to paddling Lake Superior in my new to me Mad River Monarch.

I hope to get to Florida in the spring or fall for a week or so of paddling, perhaps for the last time.

Base camping trips in the Jersey Pinelands and Adirondacks.

The WCHA Assembly, from which I hope to sneak away for a half day trip or two in the Dacks.

Some "local" paddles with the Greater Connecticut/NY/MA/RI Region motley crew I'm trying to herd.

I certainly hope for all the above . . . because . . . I've custom ordered the sixth "final canoe of my life" since 2008.

Tryin' said:

we are doing a big "coming of age" trip this year

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I didn't know you could canoe at the Mustang Ranch in Nevada.

My plans keep switching around, but the most likely thing is to try to get down the Mégiscane again.

Glenn MacGrady said:

the sixth "final canoe of my life" since 2008.

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And what would that be?

I guess there needs to be a pole abou t Glenn s next boat.

After some health challenges this past year, I have been working hard at correcting that problem and I do have some plans that I hope to complete.
Two miles from my door is a pretty nice lake, a small campground has a pay to launch put in there. I have been working on my two last canoes (16’ 100 year old JR Robertson and a 100 year old Chestnut 16’x31”) which should be done by spring. I have a trailer now so getting to the lake and launching should be trouble free. Word is the broke trout fishing is very good where the St George River flows into this small lake, and shoals prevent bigger boats access. We will see.
I plan to take advantage of some last minute early spring warm weather and camp with the canvas wall tent here in Maine, and then as the weather warms I hope to explore some more areas here in Maine that I haven’t been to yet.
Finally, a road trip out to northwestern Ontario would be ideal, and not out of the question. Say hi to Memaquay and camp along side of small lake for a while too.
Finally, get to use that northern Maine moose permit the was deferred till this year due to health issues last year.

Our life plans get kicked around, moved around, and shuffled. I hesitate to even try to put plans to paper but the dream is always worth it.
This '26 is full of possibilities, including welcoming a new member to the paddling clan. We're planning some long weekenders.

Erica said:

My plans keep switching around, but the most likely thing is to try to get down the Mégiscane again.

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I’ve changed my mind again.

I have two entirely different rivers in mind. The Darling River into the Murray River in Australia. This would be 30-60 days likely. This river system has been on my mind for several years now. Today I read a quite well-written and interesting trip report on the Darling.

Darling River

The three men are each in a solo k****k but you can hardly tell because the river has no rapids and most of the time there is little current. Almost no photos of the boats. The river is described as isolated, but does have stations and/or small towns at various intervals. Lots of birds, including emus swimming. About 4 different kinds of what we would call kangaroos, but they have their own Australian names. Anyway, it’s an interesting read.

I’m also interested in the Queguay Grande River in Uruguay. Should I care to, I can paddle from the highlands to the sea. No rapids. Remote in the upper reaches. Goes through a nature preserve. But it’s less interesting once it joins the Uruguay River. This is a river which on one side is Uruguay and the other side is Argentina, so paddling could get interesting in an international way. Uruguay has a stable democracy making it the safest place in South America for travelers.

Odyssey said:

Our life plans get kicked around, moved around, and shuffled. I hesitate to even try to put plans to paper but the dream is always worth it.
This '26 is full of possibilities, including welcoming a new member to the paddling clan. We're planning some long weekenders.View attachment 152488

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Looks like that little one already knows what to do.

Change of plans already. Looks like I'm going to BWCA again in late June. Can't turn down my Nephew's invite.