Little Mo: tree across river

[Tim Eubanks]

Just around the first turn down from Albert Pike, river has a left and right chute. Bottom of right chute has a tree all the way across. At yesterday's level you could scoot over if you hit the right spot. Otherwise, you CANNOT get around it. Hard to get to the bank by the time you see it. Left chute looked clear from bottom.

We had a 'yak pin upstream of the tree, but Lifejacket managed to flush it under the tree. 'Yakker who flipped took a nasty swim UNDER the tree, but also flushed out. Same yakker (Charlie) managed to boof and beach himself atop a rock in the middle of ?boulder garden, completely unplanned and probably unrepeatable. Charlie also got intimate with Edgar's ledge. Charlie did supply ample post-paddle libations,so he's good to go. In Charlie's defense, yesterday was his second time in a kayak and he was paddling a rec-boat with no flotation. He didn't seem to mind all the rocks he met.

All in all, a great day on the Little Mo.

[Lifejacket]

The Long Version

To clarify it is not one tree but a cluster of three solid trees all in the same root wad COMPLETELY BLOCKING RIVER. GPS coordinates 34°21'53.24"N and 93°52'58.74"W. It is really in the first decent rapid there are no small eddys above it to save yourself. If you have been before you should know where the guy was trying to hold the bank from washing with some 8x8s and sheets of metal, you guessed it didn't last. If you have not been and decide to go there are plenty of houses on river right WHEN YOU COME TO THE FIRST ISLAND GO LEFT, this slot comes out right below the trees AT THIS TIME. Side note the tree at the top of PINBALL blocking the stay right sneak route is GONE. Only other tree is the one below blaylock creek and above Winding Stairs.

The level when encountered was around 5.5 Greg made it over in his inflatable, Me next in my micro BARELY, Tim in his open boat, THEN came Chris and Charlie. First off a little explanation, Charlie has run dragover at a decent level and the lower lower Little MO with to generators running, so I put him in the same rec boat with no foot pegs or thigh hooks. Back to the story, Chris made it up onto the tree and got stuck on top for a moment before coming over. Charlie was to close and came upon the tree while Chris was still coming over. The next 5, 10, or 15 seconds felt like an eternity as Charlie's Kayak broached against the tree and proceeded to roll with Charlie to the upstream side. As we scrambled to get up to the trees, to try and figure out how to get him out, he miraculously popped up down steam after going underneath the trees. Greg said he saw Charlie's legs come up between the trees at one point. He made it to shore and was shaken up but fine. In his words "I think I just cheated death!"

The boat and paddle are still hung in the tree. I swim across and proceed out onto the trees to see if I can pull the boat over or to the side of the trees, figure out quick that ain't happening. Get the paddle out and throw it onto the bank. So, I thought easiest way to tie a rope to it and try to use some of the current to help us drag it off. Now I am having to scoot out further on the tree and looking at the other trees on the down stream side of where I am at. A mistake here is going to be bad. The boat is completely submerged by now a Greg is saying it ain't comin out. As I reach the other end of it on the tree, I put my foot on it to steady myself. IT MOVED more under the tree, I thought for a moment I might go with it. Now scrapping the plan of pulling it out with a rope. Only way it is coming out today is for the boat to pull a Charlie and go underneath the trees. After several pushes with my legs, I get it underneath the first tree as I turn to see if it made it past the rest it magically appeared like charlie floating down steam.

This kinda made all the rest of the swims and happenings of the day seam minor. I will give Charlie props for ending up on a midstream rock about four feet above river level and finding his way back into the river without swimming. But not for swimming just above edgar's and doing what looked like a barrel roll over the ledge, because recovering his boat caused me to miss Monte in his Dagger Approach unsuccessfully running the meat at Edgar's.

[Tim Eubanks]

Thanks for "the rest of the story", Adam.

[Lifejacket]

That is not quite the rest of the story as far as the trip but all I have time to type.

[Lifejacket]

Thought this deserved a bump to top since it is still running. I will volunteer to help remove it at some point this weekend if someone else wants to bring a saw, mine is in shop.

[Jim Krueger]

Adam,

That was a very good report! Should you decide to work on the tree over the weekend and need a saw, I have one I could leave out to pick up.I have an older model Stihl 041AV you are welcome to, W gas&assesories. If I get out at all this weekend it will probably be on Sunday, and on the Caddo (when the rain finally decides to quit) just to putter around, and take care of my bum knee. I last loaned this saw to BryanP for work on the Richland Creek earlier this year after the ice storm damage, I believe it's still fairly sharp!

Best Regards
Jim

[Minna Ulmer]

Guys, what a report! Was that upper Lil' Mo? I love the only trip I had on the lower and want to go back,even tho I had a "near death" experience stuck in a hydraulic at what I am told was Meeks Falls. It seems kinda lame after Charlie's experience! Minna

[Lifejacket]

Minna yours was the worst I saw until this one. If Jim says my right up was that good put it in the newsletter so I will be in the running for the prize.