Day two began with a big breakfast and a great chat with the Ranger at Churchill Dam as he opened the gates to release water for the days paddlers. We then loaded all of our gear into his truck in order to run Chase Rapids on the Allagash River with empty canoes. This keeps the canoes floating high, lighter for easy maneuvering, and prevents yard sales from occurring due to canoe upsets. A little pep talk and into the rapids we went!
It didn't take long for the Allagash to claim it's first victim. The third canoe in our chain missed the center line and found a barely submerged rock in the first drop and went for a swim. They easily recovered and went back on their way after the refreshing dip into Allagash waters. Shortly after, the second canoe in our chain met a similar fate and also got a taste of Allagash waters. Another quick recovery and they were on their way. The rest of the run down to Bissonnette Bridge went smooth and quick without incident. There was even a cow and a calf moose spotted in the river as we made the five mile run through the class I and II rapids.
After a short break at Bissonnette Bridge, we loaded our canoes up with our gear and made our way to the Chisholm Brook campsite for our second night on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. It is a short, leisurely paddle to Chisholm Brook with just a handful of obstacles to maneuver. Upon arrival at our campsite, first order of business is to establish camp as always and rest. It was particularly hot on this day so a couple guys took a nap and the rest of us ventured out onto Umsaskis Lake to enjoy the breeze and some relief from the heat. We did a bit of fishing and caught a handful of chubs, the wind making things a bit challenging.
After a delicious dinner of salmon we all headed back up river to an area dotted with islands, which create some nice channels and pools where native brook trout often reside. We spent the evening doing some fly casting instruction and fishing. We managed to find a few brookies in amongst all the chubs, mainly near a cold water runoff near our campsite. The temperature finally started to come down into the evening hours and we enjoyed a campfire, some cigars, and a beautiful moon before calling it a night!
