Post by mitchell on Apr 5, 2009 7:24:28 GMT -5
Well Tyson and I had an adventurous day on the Pollett yesterday. The water was running high and fast after the rain we had Friday night. We put in at the bridge in Elgin and planned on paddling to the Sanitorium Rd bridge.
Just before we launched we noticed a huge wall of ice that spanned the width of the river and a couple hundred feet long. It was moving at an alarming rate. I wasn't planning on wearing a dry suit until I saw this. We launched successfully beneath the bridge and after a long winter we were finally able to dip our paddles into a New Brunswick river, although nervously checking behind us to make sure an avalanche of ice wasn't on our tail.
It felt great to warm up the paddling muscles that I haven't used in months. Shortly into the trip the clouds started to dissipate and the sun made its way through. A nice warm breeze blew up the river carrying the aroma of spring. We stopped wherever we could find an eddy as they were few and far between.
None of the rapids were all that technical, just some big waves that didn't look like much until we were in them. We rounded one corner and I paddled into some big standing waves and made my way to the calmer section on the right hand side. I looked back to see Tyson riding the waves with a big smile on his face. I noticed 2 people downriver standing on an island with their clothes hung up in the bushes. I turned around to tell Tyson we should pull in to see if they need help. All I saw was Tysons boat upside down and his head bobbing through the rapids. Apparently he struck Colemans Rock without ever seeing it until he hit it. I am told this rock tips many people but can usually be seen. Today the rock was completely submerged.
There was no place to eddy so I pulled into the shore and grabbed at some alder branches to get stopped. There was nothing I could do though because I couldn't free my hands to get the throw rope and even if I could I would never be able to pull someone in while cluthcing branches. Tyson yelled that he could no longer stay with his boat so he swam behind me and climbed up onto the ice shelf. I peeled out and told him I would try to get his boat to shore. The rapids were getting heavier as I tried to reach under his canoe to grab the rope. Each time I tried I nearly fell in myself. After a couple sharp turns and no eddys to be had, I had to get to shore and wait for Tyson. I must have paddled close to a km away from him. The walk down to my boat through the thick alders and knee to waist deep snow was miserable.
We met up and launched together in hopes of finding his canoe. We paddled to the Sanitorium Rd bridge with no luck. Tyson's father was there waiting for us but said he was willing to go further down river and pick us up. The next bridge was 10kms away and we hoped it might be slower water. We made it to the next bridge in about an hour but the river was still flowing fast and no signs of a canoe could be found. Once we got Tyson's truck back we drove along the river where it empties into the Peticodiac. There was a massive ice jam here so if the canoe made it this far it is probably under the ice somewhere. Hopefully someone will find his canoe and give him a call.
Some pictures are posted here:
mitchellamos.spaces.live.com
Just before we launched we noticed a huge wall of ice that spanned the width of the river and a couple hundred feet long. It was moving at an alarming rate. I wasn't planning on wearing a dry suit until I saw this. We launched successfully beneath the bridge and after a long winter we were finally able to dip our paddles into a New Brunswick river, although nervously checking behind us to make sure an avalanche of ice wasn't on our tail.
It felt great to warm up the paddling muscles that I haven't used in months. Shortly into the trip the clouds started to dissipate and the sun made its way through. A nice warm breeze blew up the river carrying the aroma of spring. We stopped wherever we could find an eddy as they were few and far between.
None of the rapids were all that technical, just some big waves that didn't look like much until we were in them. We rounded one corner and I paddled into some big standing waves and made my way to the calmer section on the right hand side. I looked back to see Tyson riding the waves with a big smile on his face. I noticed 2 people downriver standing on an island with their clothes hung up in the bushes. I turned around to tell Tyson we should pull in to see if they need help. All I saw was Tysons boat upside down and his head bobbing through the rapids. Apparently he struck Colemans Rock without ever seeing it until he hit it. I am told this rock tips many people but can usually be seen. Today the rock was completely submerged.
There was no place to eddy so I pulled into the shore and grabbed at some alder branches to get stopped. There was nothing I could do though because I couldn't free my hands to get the throw rope and even if I could I would never be able to pull someone in while cluthcing branches. Tyson yelled that he could no longer stay with his boat so he swam behind me and climbed up onto the ice shelf. I peeled out and told him I would try to get his boat to shore. The rapids were getting heavier as I tried to reach under his canoe to grab the rope. Each time I tried I nearly fell in myself. After a couple sharp turns and no eddys to be had, I had to get to shore and wait for Tyson. I must have paddled close to a km away from him. The walk down to my boat through the thick alders and knee to waist deep snow was miserable.
We met up and launched together in hopes of finding his canoe. We paddled to the Sanitorium Rd bridge with no luck. Tyson's father was there waiting for us but said he was willing to go further down river and pick us up. The next bridge was 10kms away and we hoped it might be slower water. We made it to the next bridge in about an hour but the river was still flowing fast and no signs of a canoe could be found. Once we got Tyson's truck back we drove along the river where it empties into the Peticodiac. There was a massive ice jam here so if the canoe made it this far it is probably under the ice somewhere. Hopefully someone will find his canoe and give him a call.
Some pictures are posted here:
mitchellamos.spaces.live.com
