Big "freakin tree" in Lower Blue.
As you near the end of the run, just after you come out of the big rapid that narrows in the canon with a big wall on river left.......anyway, as you clear this last little canon there is a big tree in the middle of the river. Seems to me that it sucks you right into it.
DISCLAIMER: I'm a newby boater who got intimate with this tree and decided to go for a swim, but my comrades who are very good boaters missed it with ease and safely got around.
Just be expecting it when you round the corner. People in our party went left and right of it without problems...
Ran the lower today and the strainer was definitely an issue. You can easily clear it to the left and possibly to the right although that didn't seem like a good option when I scouted today. The eddy in the middle of the rapid on the LEFT by the end of the wallis the best spot to scout from. If anyone wants to do a pm run let me know!!
Vanessa
Sounds like the tree is between the cliffs and the upper of the two diversion structures. Correct? If so, how close to the diversion structure is the tree? Which side of the river did the tree fall from?
There's an overhanging tree on river right (opposite side from the cliff) that, if it falls, would fall just barely on the high side of, or even right on, the upstream diversion structure. Is that the one that fell?
The tree could have fallen from anywhere, it does not touch either bank and may have fallen from the high part of the cliffs for all I know. It is literally in the middle of the river with its roots and all so I would guess it fell from the left side cliffs. It is maybe 100 yds upstream from the first dam and all the main current was going straight into the middle of the tree. I'm sure it won't go far for awhile as it is quite rocky below where the tree is lodged. I would scout from the eddy described above below the first section of canyon wall rapid and see if it has moved. I would have stopped and got pics but I was a little busy chasing a boat and its occupant from above the strainer thru the second dam. PS if anyone finds an AT paddle I think it was lost somewhere in this section by my friend about a week ago, please reply to this thread.
Vanessa
The fact that its in the main flow ie the wave train makes it a mother! The top of the tree is upstream and the roots are down stream. I hit it doing 90 mph backwards and upside down and I didn't budge it....ha! so its not going anywhere.
Seems like that section of river is claiming a lot of paddles! My friend Sam lost hers there last week too.
Scotty V.
QUOTE=Scottsfire; The fact that its in the main flow ie the wave train makes it a mother! The top of the tree is upstream and the roots are down stream. END QUOTE
This is incorrect!!! The tree as of 2 days ago was directly sideways (perpendicular to the flow) in the river NOT oriented parallel to the flow. Nor is the tree in the wave train. It is below the wave train in the holes and rocks section nearer to the second dam. It has probably moved since my run also so definently scout.
I was just there today and Sunday as well. So that we don't make this out to be more than it is, this is a small strainer, river center, easily avoided on either river right or left with no scout or portage needed by either raft or kayak. It probably blocks 1/5 of the river's width as the tree is parrell to the current. To put it in perspective my buddy today didn't even notice it until our second lap.
I was just there today and Sunday as well. So that we don't make this out to be more than it is, this is a small strainer, river center, easily avoided on either river right or left with no scout or portage needed by either raft or kayak. It probably blocks 1/5 of the river's width as the tree is parrell to the current. To put it in perspective my buddy today didn't even notice it until our second lap.
Thank you. I'm going over there soon to take a first year, first timer down and didn't want her pinging.
__________________
At least once every human should have to run for his life, to teach him that milk does not come from supermarkets, that safety does not come from policemen, that news is not something that happens to other people. ~ Robert Heinlein
Thank you. I'm going over there soon to take a first year, first timer down and didn't want her pinging.
Yeah I wouldn't sweat it, on Sunday I brought a guy with no roll down through. He followed my line, didn't swim, and wants to go this weekend too. On the first diversion dam I would not recommend the center line despite whats best at other flows. Its got about 5' of recirc behind it right now. I had my newby go way river left, it worked well.
Good to hear its moved since I ran it. It was straight across the river (perpendicular to the current) and could really only be run to the left safely. We were thinking about going down with some ropes but if it has turned parallel it probably won't be to bad.
Vanessa
Hybrid Mode
