grnmtngirl
03-16-2016, 14:14
I have been shuttling section hikers or weekend warrior when I can from my former base of the Southern Berkshires (was working down there doing trail things), and hometown area of Southern VT. There are several of us listed and unlisted on the shuttle list in the Northern and Southern Berkshires that forward along shuttles when we can't do themr. I am in the position now where I may not be around the area much longer. I think we've been doing a good job trying to fulfill people's hiking dreams by getting them where they need to be, but having more backups would be awesome for when whomever in my network is not available, or there are too many people looking on the same day.
I am basically looking for anybody who in the past has shuttled folks who have reached out on here, whom I can forward an email request or pass along the phone number of. There was someone in the Cambridge, NY area on here I recall that maybe had shuttled some folks? If you can occasionally be available, please drop me a private message in here, or email me at: silcassano @ gmail. com and I can explain more.
Either way, per warnings of a larger shuttle service in NH, shuttling hikers is still at your own risk, and apparently the DOT, etc maybe cracking down on people who don't carry insurance, etc to transport people due to things like Uber... Technically making any money off shuttling folks at federal lands (most trailheads in parts of VT that are USFS) than you should get a permit, etc. Either way, I feel it is still a service that is needed in this area, and covering your costs is expected, and doing is at this small scale makes it a bit more manageable, but there are some grey areas for sure. With the lack of more times with public transit (IE: there is a bus from Albany to VT now, but only 1x per day), section hiking would be impossible without people independently providing shuttles. The taxi services that advertise do know the trailhead locations, but maybe cost prohibitive to some hikers.
I am basically looking for anybody who in the past has shuttled folks who have reached out on here, whom I can forward an email request or pass along the phone number of. There was someone in the Cambridge, NY area on here I recall that maybe had shuttled some folks? If you can occasionally be available, please drop me a private message in here, or email me at: silcassano @ gmail. com and I can explain more.
Either way, per warnings of a larger shuttle service in NH, shuttling hikers is still at your own risk, and apparently the DOT, etc maybe cracking down on people who don't carry insurance, etc to transport people due to things like Uber... Technically making any money off shuttling folks at federal lands (most trailheads in parts of VT that are USFS) than you should get a permit, etc. Either way, I feel it is still a service that is needed in this area, and covering your costs is expected, and doing is at this small scale makes it a bit more manageable, but there are some grey areas for sure. With the lack of more times with public transit (IE: there is a bus from Albany to VT now, but only 1x per day), section hiking would be impossible without people independently providing shuttles. The taxi services that advertise do know the trailhead locations, but maybe cost prohibitive to some hikers.