For me, this was the third weekend in a row doing a bike shuttle, and I’m starting to like it - great exercise, get’s rid of boring “up-and-back” trips, and gives me options for trips even when I am alone. Two flatwater trips (Charles and the Blackstone) and one easy whitewater (Lower Deerfield).
My bike isn’t the best, but it will have to do for now. I went looking for a new one, and they have been sold out for months – everyone has the same idea.
Riverton run…nice paddle down, sweet bikeride through the pines back up. Long time back, before I got into poling, which made “up” more exciting than back, and “back” just feeling like a well deserved bonus.
Satans Kingdom run…you know downhill, biking back, fairly busy road but a wide bike path.
Crystal Rapids…“rails to trails” path along the river…say no more…
That being said, 87 degrees today, and I’m getting together with Mr. Nutt…to go shooting lol. At the point I only drive to work or the club these days, the rest of my recreation starts at the front door.
Enjoy your biathlons. Check Bikesdirect.com for bicycles. I bought Aarons and my last mountain bikes from them and was happy with the purchases.
When living in MN, years ago, my river paddling involved ‘wheels’ shuttling.
I started out with a bike, but, after one, very tiring shuttle (hot day, gravel road), I decided to try out the motorcyle (that I already had).
Worked well, but was a bit overkill.
So I ended up with a selling the motorcyle for a moped.
(bike - too little, motorcycle - too much, moped - just right)
The latter years in MN, I spent a lot of time on L Superior.
For the Apostle Island trips - no need for up and back, many choices of direction. For the ‘around the lake’ trips, well, by definition, no repetition.
However, if you have to return via same path - how about, leave prior to sunrise, return with the light - the landscape will certainly look different.
(yesterdays paddle was on the St Johns, from home (near Jacksonville) down to Mayport (near ocean). Left at 2am, arrived at Mayport around sun up, returned in the light.)
Meself, I was bike shuttling before bike shuttlin’ was covid-cool(mainly because of my being a closet anti-social so-and-so, who couldn’t always find willing partners around the remote area where I live. These days I’m doing more canoe sailing than paddling. So I get the exhilaration with no whitewater rocks and no need for shuttle.
The covid shuttle shuffle has reminded me how much I like poling, and how much I like being on the river alone. No reasonable bike route near my local runs. But the pole keeps me going.
With COVID I am still avoiding car shuttles (which has pretty much eliminated my whitewater paddling), but there are only so many up-and-back trips I can do. Bike shuttles have turned out to be a great alternative. I’ve done 9 bike shuttles so far this year – the latest was yesterday on the Nashua River in MA.
Five to six miles seems to be a nice distance for the bike ride – with twists and turns the river is often longer. The bike ride is good exercise, but I still try to find routes that are relatively flat. Anyone else?
Hopefully with a vaccine we’ll be back to car shuttles next year
You could do that - I prefer to ride first, so I leave my boat at the put-in, drive to the take-out, and ride my bike back.Use the same lock to lock my boat and my bike.
I am in Stow and paddle the assabet, Nashua, lake Boone, etc. Tend to put in and take out at the same point or have someone pick me up at the take out.
Hey Eck my only trip on Tville in the 80s I walked the shuttle. Being young and dumb I didn’t let the lack of other paddlers deter me. My only bike shuttle was a lesson in misery. South Fork of the Payette (mellow stretch around garden valley Idaho) where the temperatures reached 103 degrees. There was no shade, and the seat bolt fell out so I pedaled standing up. It was really miserable on small single speed folding bike.
