Nitinat River Hazard!!!

[biggest]

There is big tree across the Nitinat River, about 2 kms upstream of the Nitinat River Bridge. If you're thinking of a drift from Parker Creek on down, do not go. The tree is well anchored on shore at it's root ball and tip, right across the river and there are a few other logs starting to accumulate with it, it's the start of a nasty log jam.

We had to portage the pontoons 100 metres around it, a lovley 2 hour workout, through the bush and along a rotting-chum lined game trail, yum!
Perhaps Vinny & Bags could do us a favour and jet up for a look see later this week. Hopefully with the continued rain the river will come up and move this thing out of there. It's big, goes bank to bank and is lodged in there pretty good.

By the way, we did see a few coho on the move but did not hook any. After the sweaty, rain soaked 2 hour portage, it kinda took the wind out of our sails...

 

[biggest]

http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Zek/Nitinat.jpg

 

[biggest]

http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Zek/Tree.jpg

 

[scottyboy]

happened 2 me top end on cow years ago , but we had 2 go under it [8]no way around it.i had 2 grab the tree as my buddy was on the oars and push 2 get the boat deep enough 2 get under it . man it was kinda scary but after a few brocken fingers and 2 brocken rods bumps and bruises we made it . but man when we get together with beer and a few friends that story gets right outa hand. tight lines scottyboy. yes trev remember

 

[Fins -n- Skins]

Hey Biggest that's not the first tree we encountered up there. I always tell people there screwed if there in a drift boat with no chainsaw or come along. Good thing you where in the pontoons. Hopefully the high water will blow it out. I like your pin point on the google map.

 

[HALILLAMA]

WoW.....Great post,thnks[:0]from a fellow rower. Nice Pics
Its a lot better to post than wait till someone dunks their buddies
or gets hurt, or worse.

 

[whitewater_cowboy]

Thanx for the tip! Hate to take my friends for a cold baptism in the religion of steelheadin' or coho fishing. I prefer smaller crafts (pontoons are nice) when the waters change drastically...easier on the back.

 

[biggest]

Yes, I figured we'd better post the warning on all the sites. I'm not sure how many people drift from Parker but I know a few of us do and judging by the overgrown access road, not many go down that road in full size trucks. My Dodge was doing the "side mirror brush cutting" all the way down!!
We would have been screwed if we had been in the Bite Me (our drift boat), that's for sure. If you encountered that log in a drift boat there is no way to get around or over it. You would have to tie it up on shore or in the bush and leave it until the log is out of there. I'm thinking it will be a while for that to happen too. The tip is about 2-3' in diameter and is on shore above the river about 8-10'. I know ole Ma Nature is a powerful old gal but it's locked in there good.

Fins will remember that drift with Roscoe and Hatter a few years ago when we encountered a log across the river up there. We were lucky that time, there was a wee spot at the end of it and we slipped the boats through...Hopefully someone in a jet boat will go up and check it out.

I phoned the hatchery to let them know. The guy I talked to said they will do nothing to remove it. That's no surprise as that's not in the hatchery mandate and lord knows they don't have the $$ or manpower to be dealing with that sort of stuff.

We did see fresh coho on the move in the river below the log, so that's good news.
Tight lines and be safe if you go,
B.