View Full Version : shuttle buddy?
i have no idea what exactly to call this or where precisely its best to post it, but i doubt i'm the first to have this idea. what i'd like is to meet a person or persons to team up with for shuttling purposes, not necessarily to do any actual hiking with. what i'm thinking is we pick a section of the trail about a days length (12-18 miles for me, slightly more or less when logical). we meet in the morning near there and trade our cars which we drive to opposite ends of the section. this way we each hike at our own pace back to our own car waiting for us. meet again in the morning, repeat for 3 or 4 days. anyone done this sort of thing before? anyone want to give a try this summer? i'm looking to hike the AT in MD, PA, southwest NH (lready did the whites for the most part) possibly VT.
couscous
06-18-2010, 13:02
This could be tricky logistically. When I do most of Maryland next month, I'm parking at one end and planning to get a shuttle to the other end so I can have my car waiting for me when I finish.
well perhaps i missed the main point of my idea- this is to enable a lot of day hiking rather than overnighting so as to avoid carrying a tent and all the supplies camping entails. i (and presumably the other people involved) would caary a water bottle and a snack everyday instead of full gear. sure i could hike all of MD in one shot with one shuttle, i dont want to lug all that stuff around the whole time. maybe i'm just a wuss? : )
couscous
06-18-2010, 14:07
It's hike-your-own-hike so whatever works for you is the right way. Sounds like you don't really need the second person, just a second car. Maybe the ultimate slackpacking option is to get someone in the area to loan you a vehicle for the duration of your hike - park it at your starting point - and hand you the keys. You could drive your car north - hike back to their car - drive back to yours. The next day you drive your car further up the trail, hike back to their car, drive back to yours. (repeat as needed) This could theoretically work for weeks.
Saffirre8
06-18-2010, 14:11
That would be a great idea, if you trust a stranger with your car????
I trust fredmugs with my old car. we've hiked about 1000 miles this way. once or twice a year we email and fred makes plan, then we do it. its worked out well but I hardly know him. maybe thats for the best as he is big marine and shaves his head all the time. one of his front teeth has chip in it and he is kinda scary. We are doing half of vermont, all of NH and 40 miles or so into maine this july because he said so....
well ive often just walked (and biked, and hired shuttles) back to my own car. just looking for a cheaper and more efficient method. i'd rather hike trail all day than spend half of the day walking back to a car (either mine or someone else's) so the second person to get the car moved is actually the key. if someone wanted to just move my car for me thatd be sweet, but i figured my original idea might be mutually beneficial to someone.
Sierra Echo
06-18-2010, 18:36
You would have to have two sets of keys. One for you and one for the other person. And you couldn't guarantee you would get your keys back. Or your car for that matter!
well 2 sets of keys i have (though theoretically wed pass each other somewhere along the way during the day) and i'd have their keys/car so its mutual trust at least. i suppose if someone really wanted to drive out to the AT to try and swap cars with me permanently they could but i think the chances of someone who reads a forum like this deciding to try and pull that off on someone are slim.
kizzybean
06-18-2010, 22:36
I did this exact type of day hiking with Fredmugs and Juma a couple of years ago and it worked great!! They met up and did it again last spring. We shared a tenting space at a campground and each morning I'd take their car drive to point I was starting and hike north while they took my car and parked at the point I'd be ending and they hiked south. We each had set of keys for both cars. Generally met around lunch time for few minutes then hiked on our respective ways. They hiked faster than me so when they reached the car I'd parked in the morning they could head back to "base camp" and when I reached my car I'd drive back. We did this for a week hiking a PA section to Deleware water gap. They are great guys and if you hook up with them you won't be sorry nor have to worry about your car. Just better know how to drive a stick shift if its Jumas car, lol.
I'm in Maine and if the time works I might be interested in doing some of NH. I'd probably only be able to take about 5 days this summer. Depending on terrain 18 miles is a push for me but but 12 - 15 would be fine. When were you thinking of going? Might be interested if time works for my schedule.
Kizzy
PS Juma, let me know when you and fredmugs are going to be in Maine and I may take a drive over from the coast to see you the end of the day with a beer or two for a vist.
PS Juma, let me know when you and fredmugs are going to be in Maine and I may take a drive over from the coast to see you the end of the day with a beer or two for a vist.[/QUOTE]
PM'd!
my biggest chunk of free time is 8/4 through at least 8/11, possibly 8/14 if i can reaarange some things and the plans seems worth it. most weekends between then and now i can do a long 4 day weekend as well. in NH i've already knocked out from franconia notch over to rt 2 in gorham, but south of that back into vt or maybe even north of that over into the beginnings of maine would be cool.
glad to hear you can dribe stick, as thats what my car is!
kizzybean
06-19-2010, 21:07
Tdoczi,
I'll have to check my schedule, but a 4 day weekend might work well for me. I haven't done any of NH so what ever part you might be looking at is fine. I've completed most of Maine already. My daughter is getting married in September so as we approach that month my time will be filled. If it doesn't work for us to hook up, post specific dates when you know for sure when you're hiking and you may find someone else to connect up with.
Kizzy
fredmugs
06-21-2010, 15:24
I trust fredmugs with my old car. we've hiked about 1000 miles this way. once or twice a year we email and fred makes plan, then we do it. its worked out well but I hardly know him. maybe thats for the best as he is big marine and shaves his head all the time. one of his front teeth has chip in it and he is kinda scary. We are doing half of vermont, all of NH and 40 miles or so into maine this july because he said so....
:-? Hmmmmmmmmmmm