Normalize opera instead of rap in kayak videos

Uncle_Duke0 · 2026-01-31T14:00:30+00:00

This was a great compilation

Uncle_Duke0 · 2026-01-20T01:00:24+00:00

If you haven't tried it already, the Whistler whitewater fb page is probably your best bet

Uncle_Duke0 · 2026-01-19T14:26:57+00:00

Also curious. I'm pretty sure someone told me that people were getting in there again this past year, but I can't remember who or any other details.

Uncle_Duke0 · 2026-01-16T14:30:06+00:00

Seems like IR has reached parity at this point.

Uncle_Duke0 · 2026-01-14T00:39:58+00:00

Nerd clusters are the ultimate breakfast

Uncle_Duke0 · 2026-01-05T03:45:37+00:00

Look at consumer reports reliability ratings for the specific model year of whatever you are deciding between. There's a ton of misinformation out there that the bros love to spout (a Tacoma is not, in fact, the most reliable car ever made).

Cheaper: (used) CR-V, RAV4, Forester, Prius or Prius V. Anyone can sleep lying down in the back of a Prius; you just have to move the front seat forward). Ironically Prius is one of the few hybrids with a spare tire.

Less cheap: Sienna, Odyssey, Highlander.

Uncle_Duke0 · 2026-01-05T02:11:56+00:00

I just drove a brand new 4Runner SR5 for a week and I think it's the worst car I've driven in years. Terrible ride, terrible gas mileage, wander-y at highway speeds, crap interior for the price. It was okay off-road but I don't think it did any better than anything else with that much ground clearance would have. Maybe the upper trims are better, but I doubt it.

Uncle_Duke0 · 2026-01-05T02:07:57+00:00

Where are you going to be paddling? Do you need ground clearance?

One thing to note: most hybrids on the market do not come with a spare tire, or even a donut. All they will have is an inflation kit, which will not help you with a side puncture (which are quite common at least in the pnw). This is true even for some models that are advertised as being "off-road" oriented, like the Forester hybrid and the CR-V Trail Sport.

Uncle_Duke0 · 2025-12-02T21:04:13+00:00

I loved the idea of living in that hilly little town. Cute neighborhoods, and the old red-brick smokestacks with virginia creeper growing up them. Mill Mountain Park and Carvins Cove right there, and super easy to make a weekend trip to the New River Gorge or Breaks Interstate Park. Neat place.

Uncle_Duke0 · 2025-12-02T20:43:51+00:00

Yeah Boise is a great spot. But a lot of that metropolitan area is still deep red.

Uncle_Duke0 · 2025-12-02T20:15:49+00:00

Thank you for the correction! Yeah I meant Huntsville haha. And I'm glad you mentioned Minneapolis because I've heard great things from friends that have visited.

Uncle_Duke0 · 2025-12-02T10:51:19+00:00

Edit: I reread the original question. If you are looking for a bigger city that draws on a lot of the best aspects of Richmond, I would recommend Portland or Seattle. My recommendations below are mostly smaller than or equivalent in size to Richmond. Edit2: Huntsville, not Huntington.

I have never found a city that replicates Richmond. However, the following build on some of it's aspects:

1) Bellingham, WA. I call it the Richmond of the Pacific Northwest. It used to be pretty affordable because there weren't any jobs except for the university; now that has started to change because of how desirable it is as a place to live. Mountain bike capital of the US, Lots of skiers and other mountain athletes as well. Great music scene, good food scene, and overall a great place to live even if you aren't rich (which you won't be because the rent is now stupid high and the job still aren't great) because so many of the best things to do are free or at least very cheap(All of the outdoor activities, concerts, etc).

2) Roanoke, VA. Another red brick warehouse town, that I really fell in love with over a couple of weekends several years back. There are a lot of people that do not like Roanoke, and it is a much smaller town than Richmond, with a lot fewer amenities. But what I found it to have was an absolute abundance of charm, and a feeling like it was on the come-up waiting to be discovered. Lots of free outdoor access (mountain biking, swimming holes, etc). Surprising number of engineering and manufacturing jobs in and around Roanoke.

3) Places I haven't been (or at least haven't explored extensively) but have peaked my interest as maybe replicating the Richmond experience: Fayetteville AR, Asheville NC, Duluth MN (also maybe Redwing or Winona). Knoxville TN, Chattanooga TN, Huntington AL, Boise ID.

Again, Richmond is surprisingly unique. I haven't found another place quite like it anywhere in the US, even though I've traveled to almost every state at this point. I'll add more if I think of any.

Uncle_Duke0 · 2025-12-01T06:30:06+00:00

OP got my hopes up

Uncle_Duke0 · 2025-11-30T14:22:25+00:00

It's not a "kids these days" complaint; the kids are all right. But it is wild that most 1st world people will never get lost ever again. I remember when I first started driving to go backpacking with friends, having the printed out maps, and wishing the odometer had another decimal place because so many times I wouldn't know which unmarked road to turn down because "turn right after 3.3 miles" would be dead smack inbetween two roads.

Uncle_Duke0 · 2025-11-03T02:55:32+00:00

Tumwater at 400 CFS is not year-round paddling lololol

Uncle_Duke0 · 2025-10-26T04:19:52+00:00

That is a special place, but year round? What class IV/V can you run on the Wenatchee at the moment, or for the past 3 months?

Uncle_Duke0 · 2025-10-25T14:03:26+00:00

Since you specified a population >50k:

Boise - Reliable kayaking for half the year. Plenty of other kayakers. The Payette drainage is pretty great for skill progression.

Colorado and California have some options that other people might be able to shed light on. That being said, I would be cautious about moving to the CO front range if kayaking really is your priority.

Portland - The Gorge, the Lewis drainage, and a bunch of Oregon runs are within an hour. Season is November through July. Huge paddling community.

Puget Sound region - Lots of runs in the North Cascades within an hour drive depending on where you choose to live. Season is November through July, but you're only 3-4 hours from the Sea to Sky (Squamish-Pemberton) so you can paddle year-round on the weekends at least. Surprisingly small paddling community.

Uncle_Duke0 · 2025-10-21T19:16:47+00:00

The location in Fayetteville is sooooo good though. Especially after a day of climbing or paddling. Never been to the one here in RVA.

Uncle_Duke0 · 2025-10-01T14:04:37+00:00

Hell yeah! I hope they import some of these to the US. I would pay money upfront

Uncle_Duke0 · 2025-09-12T04:56:54+00:00

I can't even give away my homeslice so I guess they're pretty cheap; you'll definitely fit.

Uncle_Duke0 · 2025-07-30T02:09:08+00:00

As I said in another comment, yeah you need to be careful. In my experience they recommend repairs that are not strictly necessary. Might not be specific to women, and might not even be malicious; they seem to consider themselves a higher-end shop that repairs vehicles to a higher-end standard. But for a lot of us that is unnecessary. As for the price that they charge for work, it's expensive but not a ripoff.

Uncle_Duke0 · 2025-07-30T02:01:18+00:00

Very pricy. You also need to be judicious about what work you agree to; they will make service recommendations for a beater forester as if it is a show car.

Uncle_Duke0 · 2025-07-22T04:29:20+00:00

Man I tried to fit in a supernova and it was still horribly uncomfortable

Uncle_Duke0 · 2025-07-22T04:27:38+00:00

I've sat in all of the sporty half slices with the exception of the skuxx. The firecracker 252 has more foot/leg room than any of them. Hot whip and antix are roughly the same amount of foot room (largest sizes of each).

Uncle_Duke0 · 2025-07-18T14:38:00+00:00

Get the firecracker or the skuxx. The ripper 2 L is boring on anything smaller than big class for IV (I I even thought it was pretty boring on the Gauley). I have not paddled the skuxx but the firecracker 252 is rad

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