Day two of the race was supposed to be "easier." I place that word in quotes because this, allegedly, easier second day was still incredibly difficult. After clocking in at around 8 hours and 30 minutes on day one, we hoped to be at least a half hour faster on the second day. The distance on the day was 30 miles, but with only one carry we knew that if we got into a rhythm we could improve. Day two did provide us with some beautiful views and some of the most fun sections of the race by far. The beautiful, winding Raquette River and the open water of Long Lake made this day go by much quicker.
Day two began at "Bissell's" on the south end of Long Lake. We launched from a beach and headed north up the lake. This section was unique because of the sheer distance that we had stretched out in front of us. Long Lake certainly lived up to it's name, it was the body of water that we spent the most time on during the entire race. We paddled in a pack under the Long Lake bridge to crowds of cheering family and pit crew members who snapped photos and yelled words of encouragement.
We stayed on long lake for a around 3 1/2 hours until we reached the mouth of the Raquette River. This long and constant section of lake also presented us with one of the challenges that racers have to face: how to go to the bathroom in the boat. Now it may sound gross but my friend who was a veteran of the 90 said that some people pee in the boat. My dad and I had decided ahead of time that we were in this to have fun so we could wait until we reached a section where we could get out onto dry land to go. However, this plan of action proved impossible when we were in the open water and surrounded by private camps. Eventually after some uncomfortable shifting on my seat, I informed my dad of the urgency of the situation. He threw me an empty Poland Springs jug with the top cut off that we were using as a bailing bucket and said "you're welcome." I immediately changed my mind and decided to hold it. Anyone who has ever struggled to pee at one of those troughs at a sporting event will relate to my reluctance in the face of relieving myself into a water bottle, in the middle of a lake, amidst hundreds of other watercraft. eventually we stopped and got out which also allowed us to shake out our sleeping legs.
From here we paddled up the Raquette a few miles until we reached the Raquette Falls carry. Half of a canoe hung from a post and warned against trying to run the falls. After a slow moving, single file carry through the woods, we reached the base of the falls and continued on. The rest of the day was spent winding through the clear, gorgeous waters of the Raquette. It's no wonder that Ralph Waldo Emerson and James Russell Lowell camped in the area to escape from society.
The day ended with us sprinting against another boat to the finish line at a public boat launch called "The Crusher." We were greeted with beers, chocolate milk, and pizza by our pit crew and friends who had finished before us. Day 2 was over after 7 hours and 57 seconds and we were feeling much better than the day before.
Decent work so far Jake. What you have here is a good start but you just need to keep at it. Have you thought about separate pages for different kinds of activities? How often do you get the ADKs to do trips? What is the purpose of the blog? Are you trying to inform people about what you do or is there a message behind all of your work that you want to make? A blog can be a good tool for getting your perspective across on important issues. Is there a way for you to use this to that end? What class is this for? I have many other questions and could comment further but i am supposed to be at work. Good luck
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