AMC to Add Three New Stops to Hiker Shuttle Route this Summer

[Kevin Rooney]

Can someone explain how the shuttle helps hut business? The only explanation I can come up with is if you are hiking from hut to hut and need to get back to your starting point. How many people do that in a given year?

It appears to me that the stops where huts are located are timed to arrive about the time guests would be hiking back down after breakfast. And for those ascending to stay at the hut - so long as they arrive by dinner, they're all set.

For many of the hut guests, the destination is the hut - not the summit. Once you shift to that perspective, the schedule makes a bit more sense (at least to me ).

 

[JustJoe]

I can't personally see using the single 11:40am stop at Lincoln Woods, but I'm not a backpacker either.

Tim

Tim,
I like the added LW stop because it will now allow me to head in from somewhere north, spent a couple nights in the Pemi. back-country, then come out at LW for a ride back to my car. I don't mind paying $19 for that option.

Just don't miss the bus.

 

[MichaelJ]

It's not a regular shuttle service, rather based on reservations in advance, but The Shuttle Connection out of Lincoln provides services all over the Whites. Their rates are based on drives to/from Lincoln, so the longer distances (like Pinkham) get pricy, but then again, that is a 60-mile drive just for you. It's definitely cheaper for groups than the individual.

But it does point out the cost of just driving around the Whites all day, every day. Any shuttle service would have to be financially justified, especially the midweeks. Charge too much (hikers are CHEAP) and nobody will ride it. Only do two trips a day and nobody will ride it. Go clockwise instead of counterclockwise and nobody will ride it. I sure wouldn't start up such a service, I'd go down like a stone.

 

[peakbagger]

Mike's comments are right on, with the exception of Shuttle Connection which is a scheduled service, there are really no other commericial vendors that offer scheduled shuttles in the whites and the business model is proably a losing one . I expect AMC subsidizes the shuttles as part of the hut expenses. There have been other shuttles in the region but they normally have been non commercial entities that skirt the WMNF regulations and usually are "donation" based.

 

[Puck]

I would be happy to pay a dollar more if they would fumigate the other hikers. Or hang those pine tree air freshners all over the bus.

In all fairness I am sure I small as bad to them as they to me...it is all a matter of perspective.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Thanks, All.

All good reasons. As suspected, none apply to me, a peakbagging day hiker with a car and a family to get home to

Tim