Figuring out how to retrive my car at the end of a long hike

[Frodo]

What I like to do is spot my bike at the Wildcat PL, then drive to the Stony Brook Trail and do the whole range (with a little back tracking on Moriah). The bike ride back is almost the best part! Mostly down hill, and takes about 30 minutes...

Hitchhiking is a crapshoot... Sometimes you get a ride in 5 minutes and other times you walk the whole way...

 

[dug]

Hitching can take a while. I emerged from the Rocky Branch Trail one Sunday about 4PM and had to stick my thumb out for 20 minutes before someone stopped and gave me a ride back up to Glen Ellis.

Can't understand why someone wouldn't want to pick up a dirty, smelly, old hiker. What's not to love?

Had similar, but worse, results. Never got picked up and hoofed it the entire way to Glen Ellis.....

 

[David Metsky]

Someone told me a while back, they always look for gaitors on the hitch hiker. If he/she has gaitors on they stop, if not, they keep on going.

I don't know if I was the one who told you, but that's generally my rule. 20 minutes feels like a long time when hitching, but try 3-4 hours and you'll realize that 20 minutes is really good hitching.

-dave-

 

[JohnL]

One of the tricks of the trade for the successful hitchhiker is a sign stating your destination. And very important: use the word 'PLEASE'. It has never failed me even during my college days when I looked like someone I would not pick up.

JohnL

 

[dentonfabrics]

For various reasons I like to end the hike back at my car so I start the hike with either a ride, shuttle or hitchhike.

I agree with Stan for a number of reasons;

1) people are more likely to pick you up if you dont look like the stinky, smelly tramp you resemble at the end of your hike, and

2) at the end of the hike, the last thing I want to do is stand out on the road, uncertain if I'll ever get picked up. I want to be in my car with the a/c cranked (assuming a summer hike) within 60 seconds of leaving the trail.


bob

 

[DougPaul]

For various reasons I like to end the hike back at my car so I start the hike with either a ride, shuttle or hitchhike.

Safer too. If you cannot get a ride at the start, you are "stranded" at your car, whereas if you cannot get a ride at the end of your hike, you are stranded and likely tired late in the day. Might need that bivy gear after all...

Doug

 

[JOD]

hitch hiking

I used to hitch hike all over New England when I was younger, 18-24 yrs old...I found it much easier to have a cardboard sign prepared for my destination. Not too specific, maybe just the town would work in this case. The drivers don't have to guess how for your going. Some are very accommodating and will drop you off very close to where you want to be.

 

[bintrepidhiker]

Thank you all for your suggestions. Not sure which one i'll go with yet, but since i'm not going to be doing this trip for a few weeks at least i'll have time to think it over. i'm thinking riding the moose idea might top the list we'll see.

 

[SLB]

If you're going to hitch-hike, stash a six-pack of beer in the woods. You won't have to wait 20 minutes to get picked up! If you do, at least you'll have beer

 

[giggy]

FWIW - if I don't know you, I am not picking you up. I simply don't trust people that I don't know.

These days, its just too nuts out there to risk a bullet in the head. This is the reason I never rely on hitchhiking back to a car.

sucks - but I got a family to go home to.

 

[dms]

How to almost get divorced!

After a good friend of mine had finished the New England 3 k list, he did the AT in sections. One of his trips was from Rangely to Little Bigelow. He told his wife he needed a "short' drive to retrieve his car. She drove non stop from Plaistow, NH all the way out to Bog Dam Road to pick him up and then proceeded to drive him back to Rangely to get his car, he said his wife never spoke one word to him on the long ride back to Rte 27, what a surprise! He was pleased , however, to return home and not see all his clothes in a pile out in the driveway.

 

[RoySwkr]

Safer too. If you cannot get a ride at the start, you are "stranded" at your car, whereas if you cannot get a ride at the end of your hike, you are stranded and likely tired late in the day.

Depends on whether you wait for a ride or start walking. Knowing that I may never get picked up, I always walk.

On the one hand, a clean hiker might get a ride easier, but then some folks may feel sorrier for a dirty hiker and you can swap stories at the end of the day. I usually get rides from hikers and climbers rather than socialites or movie stars.

As to whether you're safer doing the last bit in the dark on the trail or on the road, it depends on traffic level and shoulder width. I think Rte.16 S of Gorham is fine after dark but not Rte.2 E of Gorham.

 

[DougPaul]

As to whether you're safer doing the last bit in the dark on the trail or on the road, it depends on traffic level and shoulder width.

One way to make a night road-walk a bit safer is to carry a velcro reflective strap (sold for bicyclists) and put it on your arm or some place where it will be visible to oncoming motorists. Costs ~$5, weighs almost nothing, requires no batteries, and throws back a whopping reflection.

I generally bring one or two if I expect a reasonable probability of a road walk in the dark.

Your headlamp can also be used to make sure that drivers can see you.

Doug

 

[bikehikeskifish]

One way to make a night road-walk a bit safer is to carry a velcro reflective strap (sold for bicyclists) and put it on your arm or some place where it will be visible to oncoming motorists. Costs ~$5, weighs almost nothing, requires no batteries, and throws back a whopping reflection.

I generally bring one or two if I expect a reasonable probability of a road walk in the dark.

Your headlamp can also be used to make sure that drivers can see you.

Doug

I'll vouch for their effectiveness while night-cycling. Yes, I have "mr. blinky" on the rear and a headlight system on the front...

Tim

 

[timmus]

I think Rte.16 S of Gorham is fine after dark but not Rte.2 E of Gorham.

What about Crawford Notch at 9pm ? I was also wondering if there's a taxi cab service I could have called from the Highland center (IF there's phone booth outside the building).

 

[Orsonab]

I've done a similar thing over in Crawford Notch - dropped my bicycle off at the trailhead of Elephant Rock then drove south and hiked back north along the Wiley range. Got on the bike and then free-wheeled all the way south down the notch back to the car. Imagine Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy but with a lot more sweat and a backpack instead of Katharine Ross...

 

[RoySwkr]

What about Crawford Notch at 9pm ? I was also wondering if there's a taxi cab service I could have called from the Highland center (IF there's phone booth outside the building).

I think Rte. 302 has wide shoulders except right at the notch. I'm not sure there is a phone outside but presumably inside. I believe there is taxi service in Littleton but not sure they would drive you between trailheads (whereas Gorham taxi would in effect fetching you into town, or even better make deal to have them drop you off).

 

[smitty77]

*cough* *blush* *cough*

I blame my parents for never teaching me to drive a stick shift!

No excuse! My wife (at the time girlfriend) taught me how to drive one and I've never looked back. I even drive the old Mack dump truck around the yard at work just for the thrill of working two shifters and double-clutching.

I agree with Giggy.... I'd be unlikely to pick someone up for safety reasons. As such I/we have never expected a ride. In fact we did roadwalks after the Tri's and the Carters without ever sticking a thumb out. Even back in the benign 80's Max didn't want to risk hitching with his boy.

 

[trailbiscuit]

Hitch. It's fun. Maybe not the safest, but if someone was specifically cruising up Rt. 16 looking for a smelly hiker to snuff out, then I guess it's my time to go.

I also always pick up hikers. Not sickos with axes, even if they have Bud Light.

One other option is to check out the ATC website. They have a link to a PDF of people who will help with shuttles up and down the Trail.

 

[Danielle]

As many others have mentioned, you'll be in a good area to hitch if you need to. Hopefully you won't have a problem getting a ride. That being said, before we became hikers, I would never have picked up someone hitching along the road. However, since we've become hikers and especially since we hiked on the AT in 2005, we have always picked up hikers who are hitching. This does not mean we will pick up anyone who is hitching, but if someone is along a road we know is around hiking trails (ie. along Rt. 16 or outside of Gorham on Rt. 2, in Grafton Notch, etc) and they have a pack and look sort of dirty and stinky and tired, we'll stop to pick them up if we have room. We figure it's good karma!

Plus, we've been in the situation where we've had to bail out of a planned car-to-car hike due to illness, and someone was kind enough to pick us up, so we know what it's like. Of course, we told this guy we might smell and perhaps we'd be better off in the back of his pick-up, but he said, no come in on. Then, about 2 minutes later, he rolled down all the windows and said, yeah, you guys DO smell