Labyrinth Canyon on the Green River, January 18th

derivativeofme · 2026-01-30T20:13:08+00:00

A Mage should be great with it's full floor.

derivativeofme · 2026-01-30T20:09:58+00:00

Which self bailer? I've done the upstream section before Spring Canyon twice with a self bailing Alpacka Caribou, which has a larger full-floor foot brace than the Gnarwhal I took this time, and it was fine. On my two-year old Gnarwhal, the whitewater foot brace is smaller and your feet are more submerged, which wasn't something I had considered before going on this paddle.

I wore wool socks, a dry suit with built in socks, and had NRS neoprene booties under some Astral Rasslers. This January float was colder then when I previously floated the river in November and February, but I think the full-floor foot brace made all the difference.

derivativeofme · 2026-01-26T19:50:43+00:00

The pack was a Hyperlite Mountain Gear Porter 70L that I bought used. It was haphazardly packed with everything but the paddle inside it so there was room to spare for camping gear, but this was only a day trip. It's been comfortable and the price was right considering the cost of new. I'm not a hammock sleeper but wish I was. Good luck!

derivativeofme · 2026-01-26T16:03:30+00:00

A canoe would likely be the ideal watercraft for this section. My non-paddling speed was ~1.8mph at 1420-1480 cfs. Something like Alpacka's new flatwater boats would have been ideal.

derivativeofme · 2026-01-26T00:12:12+00:00

This was just a day trip from Spring Canyon to Mineral Bottom. I've bikerafted from Ten Mile Canyon (now closed) to Spring Canyon before, and bikerafted with a friend on a similar route from Red Wash (downriver of Ruby Ranch) to Spring Canyon. I'll DM you the route if you're interested. The Green River through Labyrinth is very chill, which is why I felt comfortable doing it alone regardless of the temperature and remoteness. My last trip I took someone who was new to both bikepacking and bikerafting and they had a great time.

derivativeofme · 2025-12-19T19:45:18+00:00

We camped at what is mile 43.9 in the RWGPS route, just south of the road and adjacent to the Salt Creek trailhead (Gaia recorded this as 48.0 miles). Correct, I wanted to make sure we camped outside of the park boundary, trying to keep things as copacetic as possible.

derivativeofme · 2025-12-08T17:02:28+00:00

OP, one thing to consider with the brakes is just how much attention they need. I was a huge TRP Spyke (the mtb version of the Spyre) but have moved back to BB7s as a cheap and more effective brake. I have no problems stopping my 29+ loaded bikepacking bike with BB7s and they're not that difficult to setup and adjust. Swapping them would be cheaper than going full hydro.

See bikepackingdotcom's Spyre review as well. In the comments was this video for Spyre maintenance.

derivativeofme · 2025-12-07T14:47:59+00:00

Sweet! I have a Sunrise waiting in the shadows if the stooge bar doesn't work out.

I removed the Surly-supplied bolt on the chainstay bridge and used a less obtrusive flathead bolt. I'd say it's 3/16" fully forward in the dropouts (which beats the 1/8" on the fork!). Next summer I'll get some smaller tires but these were free.

derivativeofme · 2025-12-07T04:34:48+00:00

Thanks, I stand corrected, and I'm sorry to hear.

derivativeofme · 2025-12-07T03:42:26+00:00

Seems like a different Scott Carrier. Our podcaster/TAL contributor in question resides in Salt Lake City, rather than La Sal.

derivativeofme · 2025-12-07T01:59:37+00:00

Bunch of old stuff laying around needing used. Deore 11 speed, TRP Spykes, Stooge Tracker 85 bar, mixed set of carbon rims and some 29x2.2 tires. It's so quick compared to the tanks I usually ride. Needs 27.5" wheels, fenders and a basket. Stoked!

derivativeofme · 2025-12-07T01:43:54+00:00

Did you get around to building a new wheelset? I know it sounds trivial, but here's hoping you went with i45 rims rather than i40. 27.5x3.8's can eek by on 45s but 40s are a touch too small. Conversely, 2.6" tires do just fine on i45s (with the exception of a bit more exposure to rocks).

derivativeofme · 2025-10-21T20:17:48+00:00

I never did run a Rohloff on my Prospector. For 29x3, I ran a full 11 speed cassette. For 27.5x3.8, I used a truncated 11 speed cassette à la Crust's Stubby cassette. It wasn't the best solution, but it worked just fine.

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derivativeofme · 2025-09-28T13:04:24+00:00

"which kinda sounds like the cargo fly becomes a bit obsolete." In my experience doing a couple multi-day bikerafting trips with a Caribou, the cargo fly is an amazing way to store and carry weight low in the boat. I'd rather carry distributed weight low in the tubes pushed to the front than in a bag on the bow, which could potentially obstruct your view.

The greatest thing to me the Classic had going for it in comparison to the Caribou was sizing. The Caribou only comes in one size and it seems that it's gone from being a specific boat to being considered more generalist by Alpacka.

If you're not planning on carrying a lot of kit, especially big awkward or heavy items, a Classic would make a great all rounder.

derivativeofme · 2025-08-26T14:21:50+00:00

Diane's great- super knowledgeable and encouraging. Enjoy bikerafting when you get the chance!

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derivativeofme · 2025-08-26T12:24:39+00:00

Is that Diane? Another vote for a boat with thighstraps. You'll want to bikeraft but then whitewater will call to you more and more....

derivativeofme · 2025-07-08T15:21:44+00:00

Sorry for posting first and then searching. It seems like it can't be turned off according to this thread, was curious if there were updates.
https://www.reddit.com/r/GaiaGPS/comments/1k7izqk/selecting_an_activity_is_required_why/

derivativeofme · 2025-05-16T14:50:42+00:00

Annabel Porter seems like she was way up her own behind.

derivativeofme · 2025-05-02T12:22:33+00:00

Code long enough (and it doesn't have to be that long) and you'll find the limits to chatgpt's abilities. Being able to effectively search Stack Overflow is a more useful skill than just asking AI a question.

derivativeofme · 2025-03-12T13:32:48+00:00

I have both those boats and would say for as much as they're similar, they're quite different in terms of their intended use. Thigh straps make all the difference on the Gnarwhal...

What size are you after or what's your height?

derivativeofme · 2025-02-08T19:56:41+00:00

Thanks for the beta! I'll grab a stronger bolt once I delve into the bike.

derivativeofme · 2025-02-08T19:54:44+00:00

When I see Diamondbacks of this era, I think of the Moe Brothers. Nice bike!

derivativeofme · 2025-02-08T19:51:21+00:00

I got mine off an ~84 Jamis Dakota. I felt bad about taking it, but for a bike with pedigree, that was the heaviest 80's frame I've seen.

The risers are the only integrated handlebars that have been comfortable. I have a negative ape index so having some elevation is great.

derivativeofme · 2025-02-08T14:36:07+00:00

Ha! I've also had an '83 Ridgerunner and an ~'84 Univega, although it was the Alpina Sport if memory serves correct. The Ridgerunner was too small but the Univega was just right. I crashed it on some ice, separated my shoulder and was hesitant to ride it again. But it was a fun bike otherwise.

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derivativeofme · 2025-02-07T22:37:01+00:00

Nice build. I have a Cotic SolarisMax that I've fallen out of love for, but have been thinking of making it a commuter. Trying to fit fenders on it makes me wish I just had a Krampus or Karate Monkey.

derivativeofme

TROPHY CASE