Dang, I remember that day. Awesome bit of history. Though not a "commute", exactly.

Interviewer: Do you view yourself as a historical figure?
Bryan Allen: (cracks a smile) Right now I view myself as pretty tired.

Alastair Humphreys, call your office!

Channel your inner Charlton Heston.



'Ready when you are, Mr. Demille!'

Outrageously cool story. Some cats who claimed they knew the waters called shenanigans. Tides, currents, winds, river-borne traffic, freeboard, rowing speed, harbor master/Coast Guard regulations...

The boat is a classic Fliptail dinghy.

Pet peeve: the 'bike friendly cities ratings' crowd will give points for miles of bike lanes even if those lanes abruptly end at a river or freeway or rail yard.

Connectivity. Word.

I just went to a meeting about "Connect Oregon". Well, more or less, they were arguing about advising the State Legislature about language to use on their grant system.

Anway, a lot was about "commuting", so a path that would receive grant money would be either inside an urban area, or between communities not more than 15 miles apart. "OR PART OF A SCENIC BIKEWAY".

Their definition specifically excluded using the money to create a new scenic bikeway.

I.E. There is a current trails project (Salmonberry) that will be specifically excluded because it isn't finished, and is too long.

Thanks for the link.

I've backpacked with the Aire Lynx.

At about 33 pounds, it was light for the era, and dang near indestructible.

But, those pack boats, under 10 pounds... Wow...

https://www.google.com/search?q=myth...zHtqY85uQ0drM:

I am guessing not. Flowing water typically doesn't freeze over. If it did, I still wouldn't chance it. If it were standing water, I would probably ride over it as soon the ice became a couple of inches thick.

That was what I was thinking. I'd look around for a fallen tree, and if there's one that will work, I wouldn't hesitate to bring the tools needed to improve it, cut off any branches that make it hard to walk over, and maybe string a hand rail if there are branches that can be used for that. I'd even consider bringing an axe and felling a tree across the river... though that raises ethical and legal questions that I'd rather not think about.

Under 3# for the Scout! I am thinking seriously about that; one of my favorite backcountry trips involves a river crossing...

According to The Oregon Trail, you have exactly 5 choices. You may:

1. Attempt to ford the river.
2. Caulk wagon and float it across.
3. Take a ferry across.
4. Wait to see if conditions improve.
5. Get more information.

I typically used one of the first two methods with disastrous results. But I guess we're all going to die of dysentery some day.

So true

Whew, I'd have to look at the boat and specs very closely before dropping a grand into a 3 pound boat.

My favorite boat/hike trip includes "bottom bumpers"... low water running over river rock. Generally not a problem with most of the quality boats, but it can wreck havoc on the Sevylor Tahiti style boats. And, also shooting through some rapids with one's camping gear, so I have to think about boat sizes & designs.

In the BWCA you would see the forest service arrange rocks in such away across very small streams such that you could walk from one rock to the next to the next to the other side. Depends on the size of the stream of course...and honestly, a lot of times someone would end up sliding off the rock anyways. The really good ones had a big rock that was flat on the top so you didn't lose your foot...though no one was going through in the winter when it might be covered in snow or ice.

The 3-pounder is 'only' $550, and pretty much not for floating downstream, more for river crossing or lake access, which are the 2 things I would be doing. Your trip definitely sounds nice. I would want one of their bigger packraft options for that for sure.

How much of that is the Forest Service vs some fisherman dropping rocks in?

That would only work with the smallest of streams. At least I think so.

One could technically find rocks that are 2 or 3 feet tall, but moving them by hand would be difficult. So, those rock paths are probably limited to streams that are mostly < 1 foot deep.

Two wires?

Only one is needed.

Classic activity: https://scoutpioneering.com/tag/boy-scout-rope-bridge-plans/

From how professionally looking it appeared I assumed it was forest service, but I didn't see it being installed, so who knows for sure.

Original post said 2 things:
- In the summer I could, and probably will, just take off my shoes and carry my bike across.
- Any crazy thoughts for how to cross a river on my commute?

Did you know you can order boulders online?
https://www.thestonestore.com/boulders


Lol...I mean...I'm not saying any of this is a particularly good idea. I wouldn't cross a stream with a muddy bottom even in waders, after years in the boundary waters I can tell you, you never know where you might step into something and get stuck.

It's certainly not a good plan for a steam of much depth but I'm just an internet poster, not an engineering crew.

Last idea....

Excellent idea.

Order 20 boulders to be dropped off in the middle of the stream at the end of the bike path.

Rivendell doesn't sell a hand crafted dinghy with an extra long tail section? Odd. I bet it would be under $10K too!

Don't tell them your Mexican or they'll build something else.