# 8/21/09 Wood in Lower Blue



## Scottsfire (Aug 8, 2008)

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...

Hope this helps,
Scott


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## mbannister (May 19, 2006)

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


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## Ole Rivers (Jul 7, 2005)

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?

Pics?


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## mbannister (May 19, 2006)

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


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## Scottsfire (Aug 8, 2008)

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.


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## mbannister (May 19, 2006)

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.


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## eklars (Mar 28, 2006)

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.


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## Theophilus (Mar 11, 2008)

eklars said:


> 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.


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## eklars (Mar 28, 2006)

Theophilus said:


> 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.


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## mbannister (May 19, 2006)

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


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## mbannister (May 19, 2006)

*9/01/09 Wood in lower blue*

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


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## glenn (May 13, 2009)

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


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## Ole Rivers (Jul 7, 2005)

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?


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## ryguy (Jan 19, 2005)

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


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## Ole Rivers (Jul 7, 2005)

ryguy said:


> 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?


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## eklars (Mar 28, 2006)

Ole Rivers said:


> 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.


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## Pilot_Sam (Jul 6, 2009)

*Photos of the infamous tree!*

hope these help!

~Sam!


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## Scottsfire (Aug 8, 2008)

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


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## SummitAP (Jun 23, 2007)

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.


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## slavetotheflyrod (Sep 2, 2009)

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.


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## basinrafter (May 12, 2009)

Just an update - this tree is still there, but not causing any issues...but now there's a pine tree just downstream of it that is across about 90% of the river - left is the only option, and even then, your raft will be going over the top branches.


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## FishinFool (Jul 31, 2009)

Yeah, there is a new pine tree that is across most of the river just downstream. Floated it yesterday in a 14ft raft and cleared it just fine.


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## basinrafter (May 12, 2009)

FishinFool, you must have been one of the 2 other boats we saw out there yesterday....what a great day! Definitely plenty of time to see the tree and get way river left if you're in a boat, but I'm worried about a newbie 'yaker that might swim out of their boat in Wall Rapid - that's a BIG strainer!


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## bobbuilds (May 12, 2007)

lets get a picture of it.


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## slavetotheflyrod (Sep 2, 2009)

Ran the lower on friday - The new pine tree strainer requires you to go tight to the left bank, not too difficult to clear it, but it makes it a bit difficult to get back to a clear line through the rock garden below. At 795 there was just over a boat width to clear the strainer on river left, when the water comes down it'll become a problem. It doesn't look like it'd be too difficult to cut the top off and drag it out, but the main log looks pretty well jammed.


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## basinrafter (May 12, 2009)

Here's a couple of pictures from yesterday...


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## Pilot_Sam (Jul 6, 2009)

basinrafter said:


> Here's a couple of pictures from yesterday...


holy cow crap! That sucker is really in the way! If anyone wants to work on getting that thing out of the way i am definatley willing to offer some extra 'man power', except i'm a woman (i'm more handy and useful than most men). Anywho, send me a message if you have the tools to remove it. Thanks for posting the pics.


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