catching a ride in the whites

[bryan]

i know of the amc shuttle service and have no aversion to sticking out a thumb, but i'm wondering if anyone can suggest other ways to get a ride in the white mountains be it cab companies or shuttle services that operate in lesser used areas like the kilkenny region, mahoosucs, etc. i'm planning some trips that will likely be solo and without loop options that will take me far from my vehicle. any recommendations will be greatly appreciated.
thanks.

bryan

 

[pepsi]

The Shuttle Connection card says "Wherever to wherever, whenever"

603-745-3140

I ended up not needing them so I have no actual experience. Thanks Lei

 

[Rob S]

Another plug for Shuttle Connection ...... HERE IS A LINK to their website.
Check out the hiker's rates.

 

[Mike P.]

I've witnessed in years past shuttles from Hiker's Paradise but unsure if still going on. Best thing there would likely be to park car at destination thumb or arrange transportation to Gorham & then have them drive you to trailhead you are starting at.

Could post trips you have planned on the trip board here too, if you don't mind company.

 

[--M.]

The Shuttle Connection card says "Wherever to wherever, whenever"

603-745-3140

I ended up not needing them so I have no actual experience. Thanks Lei

A friend and I used them last June: they were on time, got us there, cost was $45 (for two) from Crawford to Franconia. We made our start on time and kicked off a great week.

--M.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

i i'm planning some trips that will likely be solo and without loop options that will take me far from my vehicle.

How far is far? Think bicycle. Stash it in the woods at one end. Good for 20-30 miles.

 

[lx93]

I also recall seeing in some mom & pop convenience store on the Kancamangus Hwy (Rt. 112), near Steve Smith's bookshop, some hiker shuttle service advertised.

Sorry that I can't be more precise, but I hope that's a start.

 

[Lawn Sale]

How far is far? Think bicycle. Stash it in the woods at one end. Good for 20-30 miles.

Think bicycle with a motor attached! I am designing and building a motorized bicycle for this summer. Basically it's a removeable gas motor that will drive the rear wheel of the bicycle. Nothing invested other than time, but we'll have to see how well it works.

 

[poison ivy]

A friend and I used them last June: they were on time, got us there, cost was $45 (for two) from Crawford to Franconia.

I used them for a trip between the same locations, but it cost me (also with one friend) $65. Perhaps they liked -M better.

- Ivy

 

[roadtripper]

Definitely go the bicycle route whenever possible. One of my favorite things to do is to hike some sort of traverse that allows me to ride my bike downhill for miles back to the car afterward. It's an awesome feeling after hiking all day long.

 

[chas]

Definitely go the bicycle route whenever possible. One of my favorite things to do is to hike some sort of traverse that allows me to ride my bike downhill for miles back to the car afterward. It's an awesome feeling after hiking all day long.

I've used a bicycle 3 different times over the years but always at the start of the trip, that way the car is waiting at the end. My longest ride was from Grafton notch (where I left my car) down to almost Gorham where the AT crosses rte 2. I then spent 4 days hiking back to my car. Worked out well as there is alot of downhill from the notch and mostly gently rolling or flat terrain after that. It sure beats out and back hikes or loop hikes over trails you really didn't want to walk on but had to in order to ge back to your car.

Chas.

 

[HighHorse]

where are you dudes stashing your bikes?

i love the bike idea, but i'll be damned if i'm leaving one of my babies and my campagnolo components exposed to the weather and potential predators...

 

[post'r boy]

hitchin' a ride

i've hitched around the whites with little problem for about 25 years now. your backpack is your ticket,a sign would help too. regarding the mahoosucs, i've hitched back to gorham twice from grafton notch with very little difficulty. once i didn't even have to put my thumb out and was waiting for about 5 minutes. never hitched around the kilkenney, but i bet it wouldn't be all that tough. look like you want a ride and don't wear sunglasses,and look the driver in the eyes. i've used these tactics on 4 continents so they're tried and true!!

 

[Pete_Hickey]

i love the bike idea, but i'll be damned if i'm leaving one of my babies and my campagnolo components exposed to the weather and potential predators...

I use my commuting bike. As far as weather, leaving it for a few days when there may be some snow or rain isn't really that bad. It's much cleaner water than the spray you get from riding on wet roads. No grease/grit in it.

As far as predators... Bears can't ride an adult sized bike. Their legs are too short.... or did you mean human predators. I have chained the bike to a tree (sometimes). I have left a note on it saying, "This is not an abandoned bike. I'm hiking, and need it to get home." My thoughts are that most people seeing it would first think it is abandoned. I do take it somewhat far into the woods... and yes.. make a careful note of where you leave it. I made that mistake once, and had to spend a fair amount of time looking for it. Trees and rocks tend to look alike.

 

[Rob S]

I use my commuting bike. As far as weather, leaving it for a few days when there may be some snow or rain isn't really that bad. It's much cleaner water than the spray you get from riding on wet roads. No grease/grit in it.

As far as predators... Bears can't ride an adult sized bike. Their legs are too short.... or did you mean human predators. I have chained the bike to a tree (sometimes). I have left a note on it saying, "This is not an abandoned bike. I'm hiking, and need it to get home." My thoughts are that most people seeing it would first think it is abandoned. I do take it somewhat far into the woods... and yes.. make a careful note of where you leave it. I made that mistake once, and had to spend a fair amount of time looking for it. Trees and rocks tend to look alike.

Hey Pete, you've posted this info several years ago ..... and I think it's a great idea. I've tried it only once, tho ..... in the Catskills. My mountain bike was fairly expensive, so I did worry about it somewhat .... but it was right where I left it in the woods after the hike. I'm thinking about finding a cheapo bike in a yard sale this year ..... something in good working order, but cheap enough that I wouldn't be all that upset if it did get found and stolen ...... altho I reckon if it looked cheap enough, it would not be tempting enough to steal anyway ......

 

[--M.]

I used them for a trip between the same locations, but it cost me (also with one friend) $65. Perhaps they liked -M better.

- Ivy

No, that can't be it, as I am usually called "Quasimodo" and charged an extra twenty.

They did recalulate once based on where within the two notches we were dropping off & picking up (Falling Waters and Arethusa/Willey Station) . Other than that, I neither found it cheap nor a big deal.

I love the bike thing, although its applicability may vary. I often leave it all out on the trail, so a hands-free downhill ride would be awesome, while an uphill, heavily-laden slog would suck. Great LNT, anyway.

--M.

 

[dvbl]

How far is far? Think bicycle. Stash it in the woods at one end. Good for 20-30 miles.

Not sure if this was already mentioned, but here's my 2 cents on the subject of stashing your bike in the woods so you can do a solo-shuttle.

1) Of your two trailheads (start and finish), leave your car at the one that is less prone to break-ins (an unfortunate, but necessary consideration).

2) Check out your two trailheads on topo maps, and stash your bike at/near the trailhead with the higher elevation. Enjoy the net downhill bike ride.

Sometimes these two suggestions will be in conflict with each other. At that point, chose your priorities.

 

[Double Bow]

Another plug for Shuttle Connection ...... HERE IS A LINK to their website.
Check out the hiker's rates.

A question about this...

It seems as though to use their hiker services, you need to start from Lincoln and ride with them to wherever. Is this accurate? If so, how does one get back to Lincoln? Do you arrange for a pickup time and place?

 

[Dalraida]

Bike stolen from the woods

I had my bike stolen from the woods where I left it at the height of land in Jefferson Notch. I put it there around 3:30 AM. When walking it into the woods slightly down the road I noticed a pickup with a cap and Maine tags that had a lantern on the ground behind it. As my boots crunched the gravel on the road, the truck shifted slightly when someone moved around inside. I then drove my car to the Davis Path lot and made a nice long hike back over the summits. Just before I reached the end of the Caps Ridge trail I passed a young woman also descending. When I went into the woods near the trailhead, my bike was gone. Suspecting foul play I walked out to the lot and found that the truck had been moved, and upon inspecting the ground where it had been, found bike tracks leading to where it was. About then, the woman I had passed showed up and after explaining my problem she gave me a ride back to my car. I then drove back to the Jeff Notch lot and proceeded to hide in the brush near the new location of the truck. In about 45 minutes a scruffy looking couple showed up. As I sat there I heard the female perp say, "boy will he be surprised" and some other mostly unintelligible stuff. They left, I waited about 1 minute and followed them down the road hoping that if they took the bike they would now go to where ever they hid it. No luck. They drove to the base station. I was overdue back in Alton, so at that point I walked right up and accused them of making off with my bike. Of course they denied it so I steamed off. I took their tag number and had a friend find out who they were. I did locate the bike some months later in thier possession in Springvale, ME. But that's another very weird adventure. After that I always carried a kryptonite lock and locked my next bike to a big tree.

 

[--M.]

It seems as though to use their hiker services, you need to start from Lincoln and ride with them to wherever. Is this accurate? If so, how does one get back to Lincoln? Do you arrange for a pickup time and place?

No, we wanted to hike from Franconia to Pinkham. We stashed a car at Pinkham, and dropped a second car (with laden cooler) at Crawford. We hired the shuttle to then drive us to Franconia. They came to us.

We then of course had a three-day food & clothing stash waiting for us half-way through the hike (with a steak dinner at Nauman).

We hustled up to Pinkham before sunrise (from MA), and returned to Crawford in time to meet them there for a sunrise drive back to Franconia. It was a bit luxurious, but really set us up for the trip.

--M.