Intense Effort Removes Wood from Final Z-Channel Drop
Ten or so fans of Little Falls worked for three hours with thick ropes, pulleys, and a hand crank winch to remove wood from the final, narrow drop on the Z channel access to Little Falls. For months, the wood had blocked the final, center chute drop, leaving paddlers either to run the harder right side or to portage. The project included scaling a tree to set the key line; ropes were attached to the obstruction from both sides of the channel. Participant David Solana posted a 20-minute video documenting the extraction. The wood appeared to be a piece of a lock gate or wall, and it had a jagged metal piece attached that would have been very bad news for any paddler who came into contact with it. Steve Chapman, also present, says, "It was very satisfying to see it come out, and shocking how big it was." He estimates that it was about 4 feet wide by 12 feet long. For more information and pictures, check out the Z Channel Wood Extraction