Following family tradition, 57-year-old Bill Green and 22-year-old Dan Green, both of Danville, are adventurers, and some would say they live life on the edge.

The father-and-son team just completed an astonishing canoe trip down the scenic and wild Allagash River Waterway in northernmost Maine. This waterway is deemed the best canoe route in the northeastern U.S., according to American Outdoor Outfitters.

Growing up in Presque Isle, Maine, the elder Green was introduced to the wilds of Maine through his grandfather, who owned a sporting camp. He soon became familiar with the area's lakes, ponds and rivers, and canoeing trips became somewhat of a ritual.

"There are very few towns up there and it's very remote," he said.

After taking up residence in central Pennsylvania, he has been returning to Maine for the past 11 years, but this was his first trip down the Allagash River. Dan has been joining his dad on Maine canoe trips since he was 11.

With several topographic maps of the waterway, the pair planned out this year's 10-day canoe excursion. "The Allagash River is about 100 miles, so we traveled 10 to 15 miles a day. We always checked the river water level each day, too," Bill said.

Knowing the depth of the water is important for their safety. If the water is too low, the standard 84-pound Old Towne canoe bottom drags and must be carried. If the water is high due to heavy rains, fast-moving water or white water can put them in danger.

"The first year, we took a Dutch oven, a cooler and other conveniences, and we soon realized we can't bring that much stuff, because it weighs down the canoe. We learned a lot of stuff just through experience," Dan said with a chuckle.

One of the annoying things they had to cope with in Maine was black flies. "It is thick with them," Dan said, "but after a while you just got used to them. One year, I counted 122 bug bites on me."

His dad interrupted, "But you really do get immune to the bites."

Packing light is a necessity. It is wilderness living at its best. All meals are pre-planned, but perhaps the hardest preparation is choosing clothing. "It's hard to know how to dress," Dan explained. "Sometimes, the temperatures drop down in the 30s and if it rains, it can be very uncomfortable, but we survive," he said in jest.

This summer, they were faced with quite a dilemma. "We went to LL Bean and purchased a water purifier system which was to make our water filtration easier. All they had to do was put the thick thermometer-shaped device into water for purification. Unfortunately, when it got submerged in water, the battery no longer worked. And they couldn't purify the water. Instead, they opted for spring water.

"We made out OK, but we learned a lesson," Bill said.

"You don't want to have health problems when you're canoeing. That's why it's very important to purify the water you drink."

This year, when preparing to come home, Dan required emergency surgery for appendicitis. "We were lucky," Bill said. "Had it been three days earlier, we would have been in the woods, and it would have been difficult getting help."