Okay, so today I want to talk about my little adventure at the Ellac River, specifically the downstream Coffin section. It was a wild ride, let me tell you.
First off, I got up super early. Like, the sun wasn’t even up yet. Packed my gear the night before, so I just grabbed my stuff and headed out. Drove for about two hours to get to the river. The whole time I’m thinking, “Is this gonna be worth it?”
When I arrived, the place was pretty deserted. Just a couple of other cars in the parking lot. Unloaded my kayak and all my gear. It’s always a bit of a hassle, but hey, that’s part of it. Got everything set up, double-checked my safety gear – life jacket, helmet, the works. You don’t mess around with that stuff.
Pushed off into the water. The current was stronger than I expected. Right away, I knew this wasn’t going to be a leisurely paddle. Navigated through some smaller rapids, getting a feel for the river. It was definitely kicking up a notch.
The Coffin
Then I hit the Coffin. Man, that name is no joke. It’s this narrow chute with big rocks on either side. The water just funnels through there like crazy. I paddled hard, trying to keep my kayak straight. Water was splashing everywhere, got soaked pretty much instantly.
- Stayed focused.
- Used my paddle to steer and brace against the current.
- Avoided getting pinned against the rocks.
- Made it through in one piece!
After the Coffin, the river calmed down a bit. But there were still plenty of challenges. Went over a few small drops, maneuvered around more rocks. It was exhausting, but exhilarating at the same time. I was using muscles I didn’t even know I had.
Finally, I reached the take-out point. Dragged my kayak out of the water, completely spent. But I had this huge grin on my face. I did it. I conquered the Coffin. Loaded everything back into my car, feeling pretty proud of myself.
So, yeah, that was my day on the Ellac River. It was tough, it was wet, and it was totally worth it. If you’re looking for a real whitewater challenge, I definitely recommend checking it out. Just make sure you know what you’re doing and always put safety first. Now i need to get some sleep, feel like i ran over by a truck, lol. Good night guys.
