Over the last three years, Reel Quest Films has had the pleasure of partnering with the dedicated staff and volunteers at Maine Adaptive to create short- and long-form videos promoting the important work the nonprofit conducts across the state. Founded in 1982, the organization trains individuals with disabilities in order to develop skills, enhance independence, and provide enjoyment through active recreation.

Like many of their collaborations, this one started not with a simple idea—but a bold quest. Enock Glidden, a Maine-based disabled athlete and Maine Adaptive employee, wanted to handcycle from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to the North Rim and was looking for a film crew to capture this epic feat. Rarely one to say no, Reel Quest Films co-founders Ryan Smith and Jerry Monkman met Enock and other Maine Adaptive staff on a frigid winter day at their headquarters in Bethel, Maine, to discuss the feasibility of a documentary expedition such as this. Not for a lack of effort, it was ultimately funding the project in a short turnaround that caused the trip to be put on pause. As a crew, Ryan and Jerry enjoyed Enock’s easygoing yet determined spirit to show people that anything is possible, so they quickly pivoted and set their sights on fundraising to send another goal of Enock’s: a multi-day paddling adventure.

In 2024, Enock was consulting with the State of Maine on accessible campsite layouts in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, and, as it happened, he was interested in showing that a disabled person could complete an overnight paddle to one of the sites that he was helping to redesign. Both he and the Reel Quest Films crew knew the Allagash is in one of the state’s most remote areas, and a trip like this would take some planning not only from a filming perspective but also risk management. It wasn’t the Grand Canyon, but there were still a lot of logistics to hash out before boats were launched in the water. Ryan is an experienced guide who has led multi-day overnight paddling trips in New Hampshire and Maine, so he was comfortable with planning a trip of this scale, but he had never led a trip for a disabled athlete before. Enock and him talked through all of the details ahead of time, including how Enock would load and unload his boat from his car, what he would need on the water and around camp, and how he’d rigged his wheelchair to his kayak to ensure a balanced and comfortable paddle across the lake. After all the details were ironed out, there was nothing left to do but start. On a spectacularly warm day in mid-September, Enock, Jerry, Ryan, and his father, Warren, and father-in-law, Tom, who graciously volunteered their time as crew members, set off for Millinocket, Maine, to begin.

They eventually found their way to the ranger station campground where they set up in the dark, made dinner, and rested up for an early start the next day. In the morning, they broke camp and began loading their canoes and kayaks on Chamberlain Lake’s placid water. With boats packed and stabilized, the team set off. It didn’t take long for Enock to hit his stride and begin leading them along the western shoreline. As they paddled, they spied bald eagles and cormorants fishing and the early signs of fall returning to the Maine Woods. After stopping halfway for lunch and water, they carried on into an afternoon headwind, which barely fazed Enock in his quest to reach the campsite. After a couple more hours of paddling, they rounded a point and saw the sign for Gravel Beach Campsite, their overnight accommodations. Exhausted but elated, Enock beamed knowing he had just completed his longest paddle ever.

As loons called from across the lake and the sun set, the crew got to work setting up camp and starting dinner. You could see the joy in Enock’s eyes, and everyone couldn’t have been happier to have experienced and captured this special moment with him.

Since their Allagash trip, Reel Quest Films has documented many other formative outings for Maine Adaptive, including skiing at Sugarloaf, indoor climbing at Salt Pump Climbing Co. in Scarborough, and hand biking on the The Eastern Trail in South Portland. There is still more to come in 2025, and Ryan and Jerry are looking forward to editing these compelling stories into a moving documentary due out later in the year or in 2026. Stay tuned!