Wilderness canoe trips always feature portages, the ineluctable footpaths around dams, rapids, falls, ponds, and lakes. With the right skills, equipment, and attitude, travelers can gain access to wildlife and territory that is typically inaccessible.

"Most people hate portages because they attempt them stupidly," says Garrett Conover, a Registered Maine Guide who has been leading wilderness trips since 1980. Portaging "is as interesting as every other part of a wilderness trip."

DID YOU KNOW?
The word portage comes from the French, and is pronounced equally correctly as port-ij or port-azh.

On the Move
Length of the trail, terrain, and the canoe's weight determine a portage's difficulty. A two-person carry is not recommended because of the differences each person faces in footing and obstacles. Placing the canoe's midthwart on the prominent bone at the base of the neck, or c-7 vertebra, is also not recommended because it can cause discomfort.

In the classic Temagami style, the paddles combine with a tumpline (a strap placed atop a person's head) to redistribute the canoe's weight from the back of the neck to the head and shoulders. The paddles are tied between the bow seat and the midthwart, with the blades positioned to rest on the shoulders. Some people will not portage without a tumpline, frequently made from a long piece of leather, an old seat belt, or even a towel wrapped around the midthwart. "I wouldn't walk 100 feet without one," Conover says. By placing the canoe just slightly behind the neck, the tumpline user spares the c-7 much abuse. The secured paddles also eliminate the bothersome chore of carrying them separately.

It is difficult to hurt yourself while carrying a canoe since the tumpline will not cause injury to your head or neck. Should you lose your balance, it is fairly easy to shrug the canoe off your shoulders.

The choice of footwear is an individual one based on experience and location. Portage trails can be well used, unused, or nonexistent. You should expect any type of terrain, from swamps to boulders. While boots are not recommended in whitewater, they are desirable on portages. Sneakers work well enough and dry more quickly than boots, but may not offer enough protection.

Liftoff
With the center of the canoe just behind the neck, the canoe will be slightly stern-heavy. This is desirable. Reach forward and hold the paddles, which extend in front of you, and you're able to easily maneuver the bow to avoid obstacles. If the canoe is too stern-heavy, you may struggle to hold the bow down to prevent the stern from hitting the ground behind you. A bow-heavy canoe placement is unmanageable. You can adjust the balance of a canoe with spare paddles securely tied in under the gunwales, either forward or aft as necessary. You can also stuff life jackets or raincoats under the bow or stern decks of the canoe.

At the end of the portage, set the canoe down as close to the water as possible. If you put the canoe down 10 yards from the water, you will just have to move it again. The end of the trail is in the water. Portaging is a chance to be alone, your head shrouded by the canoe, your single focus being the completion of the task. When the walking is treacherous, you will concentrate. When the trail is easy, your mind is free to roam. The trail will end, and you will put the canoe down. And you can marvel at what you have just done: You’ve carried your means of transportation all by yourself.