What's the best method for cutting a rhizome for a friend?

I had a first year Columbus plant that was a monster. It had tons of big, heavily loaded hops. I got a couple of pounds of dried flowers off her! This year she has dozens of shoots already and I have been asked for a cutting. Don't want to harm my baby, so looking for advice from someone who is experienced at doing this before I take the knife to her. TIA!!

If it was grown from a rhizome it most likely spent all of it's energy last year making roots and some shoots for you and most likely didn't put any energy into making rhizomes. They usually begin forming after the crown is established so you probably don't have any to cut.

The easiest way to propagate is to take one of the shoots that's already popped up and gently bend it over and cover it with soil. Sometimes you get lucky and find one that's oriented horizontally which are much easier to get under the soil. After a few days or so, the growing tip will begin to pop out of the soil and you'll want to cover it up again. You can do this for as long as you wish but usually after a few weeks it should have developed a bunch of roots all along the stem starting from the crown outward. All you have to do now is to cut it away from the mother plant and donate to your friend. What you've basically done is create a rhizome. If you were to have left that portion covered with soil over the growing season it would have turned 'woody' and that growing tip would have grown you some hops. Easy as pie!

almost past season but if you expose the crown you will see woody roots and newer roots with buds and rootlets. You'll want the buds and rootlets from the rhizome for reproduction. after you cut them wrap them in a moist towel until they get back in the ground.

Thanks all for the suggestions. Ended up pulling back a few bines until I got to the rootlets, cut them below where they are mainly white in color. Stuffed them into really good compost material and watered heavily. Left them on the porch for my buddy to pick up and he says all went well and they are doing fine. Been out of town for about 6 weeks so I will have to stop over and see how they are doing soon.

BTW, this year's crop is going gang busters! I have half dollar sized buds all over the place and just tons of them. We have had a lot of rain and good sun this month and the plants are going crazy.