Very damp wood. I am going along banks after heavy rains where just a day or two before flooding had occurred. Put it this way: the sun has to be shining for me to venture into these places AND I have to watch weather forecasts beforehand and be real safe. 8 feet or more up in trees debris is caught in branches from the previous water level. So I would say pretty darn damp.

What you describe is feasible, also following the advice of thseng's reply is good. It just isn't easy with the wood I am stuck with in river bottoms after downpours unless I want to climb trees or come across suitable driftwood.