8/21/09 Wood in Lower Blue

[mbannister]

Hey guys, different mbannister this time, the last posts were my girlfriend Vanessa...

Ran the lower for the first time in a month today and got to see the strainer. My thoughts: The tree is big; 30'-40' long with lots of branches w/ green leaves on top, a surprisingly big trunk for an aspen (a foot in diameter, it looks fracking heavy) and a big root sticking a couple feet in the air. It's about 50-100 feet below where the wall of "canyon wall" ends and generally is smack dab in the middle of the current, at about a 45 degree angle to the flow.

Like some of the people said before the line's not hard to make (class 2ish?) and the path around it is not that hard. BUT, the main flow of the current goes right into the tree after the hardest and longest rapid of the run. If you're a solid class 3 (or 2+) boater you should be fine but I would be pretty nervous bringing a weak 1st or 2nd or 3rd timer down there. As long as you don't swim in the rapid above it you're cool but if you do swim a lot of the current heads right into a big ass tree with branches. I guess my opinion isto take a look before you take your newbie friend down there.

If anyone has a static rope and some extra pulleys or a come-along or chainsaw I'ld be interested in going down and trying to drag it out. This thing looks like it'll be there for quite a while.

Mike

[glenn]

Good luck dragging that thing out without cutting it up first.

[Ole Rivers]

Any pics of the strainer?

Because reports have the strainer at 45 degrees in the main current, any more, less or the same challenge going around on either side of it if the flow goes down or up from the 850 or 1000 cfs it was flowing at the time of the reports?

For those who have seen/run it, iyo, could a higher flow raise it and move it into the diversion structure below it or float it eventually over the two diversion structures?

[ryguy]

After the wall rapid. Just stay to the left. It is really not that hard to avoid. the left 20 feet of the river goes clean.

RG

[Ole Rivers]

Originally Posted by ryguy

After the wall rapid. Just stay to the left. It is really not that hard to avoid. the left 20 feet of the river goes clean.

RG

Yes, I understand about the present situation. However, I'm wondering if a lower flow, say, 500 cfs, or even a higher flow, say, 1300+ cfs in its present or future position in the same place or if it makes it down to either or both of the structures, creates, from the perspective of those who have seen it firsthand, a more or less difficult situation. Within the next few weeks, if not sooner, the flow will likely lower, as it has in previous years, making the center current that much more important.

Probably, though, next May/June's flows will move it and get it in or past the structures.

Whenever the flows lower, and/or now, for that matter, could someone post some pics?

[eklars]

Originally Posted by Ole Rivers

For those who have seen/run it, iyo, could a higher flow raise it and move it into the diversion structure below it or float it eventually over the two diversion structures?

Yes, it will likely move some next spring. Possibly past both diversions into the big log pile down and river right.

No, I don't think that lower flows will send the main current towards it any more than now. Lower flows may make going right of it more difficult.

[Pilot_Sam]

hope these help!

~Sam!

[Scottsfire]

Awesome Sam! These look good. In my nightmares of being upside down in that thing the tree was much bigger! Ha! Thanks for posting.

[SummitAP]

I took some video, but I'm trying to figure out how to get AVSCD to go to Youtube. It's actually pretty friendly unless you are swimming. I want to know how the stump got there too.

[slavetotheflyrod]

I rowed the lower yesterday, flow was 830ish, and the tree is still there, though the branches and leaves have been mostly stripped off. At that flow it wasn't too much trouble to stay left, though the current did want to push me into it. I'm gonna venture a guess that at the lower end of the floatable range (450ish) it could be a bit of a problem. It would also be a piece of cake to remove when the water comes down a bit. It'll probably break up and move downstream next spring. I'm more interested in seeing where the giant rootball in the 3rd "Irrigation diversion dam" ends up next year - That one could tear up some boats for sure.