shuttle
I think they hit them all. Some notes…
The up and back will work on low current rivers; and faster current if you pole, or are a fitness paddler.
Because you may be tired, or weather may change, or you may get in later than you thought, do the bicycle shuttle first so the car is waiting. Carry a road map if you don’t know the roads.
Do carry an emergency kit. The more remote, the more necessary.
Do lock up the boat or bike, but if possible, I like to hide paddles etc somewhere in the bush.
Roller blades, great idea ! If on paved roads and not too hilly.
And most importantly, be sure you put in on the same river you plan to take out on (just happened to friends up in the UP on their first “big” day trip !!).
Couple other possibilities…
If it’s a river you plan to float several times a year, take a day before the first trip to explore. Check out the take-out you plan to use, and look for nearby houses or stores or campgrounds. Knock on a few doors and check out the stores, getting to know the people there. And then ask them if they would be willing, or know anybody that’s willing, to help you with your shuttle for a fee. Depending upon the length and the road conditions, a fair fee would be anywhere from $10-30 for a one day trip. You’d arrange with them before the trip when you’d be at their place, have them go with you up to the put-in, and drive your car back to the take-out…if the take-out is not very close to where they live or work, you and they would first go to the take-out, where they’d leave their vehicle, so they could drop yours off and immediately drive back “home”. I’ve found a few people in country stores and gas stations in the past who were perfectly willing to do this.
The other possibility is truly elegant IF you have another person or couple who likes to float, a river with two consecutive one day stretches, and a vehicle that will carry two boats. They do one stretch, you do the other. Everybody goes in the one vehicle to the put-in for the upstream stretch, where the people who are going to do that stretch are put in. Then the other people drive to the take-out for that stretch, which is also the put-in for their stretch. When the people floating the upstream stretch get to the take-out, there’s the vehicle waiting for them. They load up, drive it to the take-out for the downstream stretch, and pick up the other people.
look pitiful
I recently took a friend on her first kayaking trip down an easy river. We were going to put the yaks on her car & drive back to the put in to get my car. This being her first time she was more wore out than she expected. The take out is in a nice park/picnic area. When we got there my friend was very tired and it showed. We were the only kayakers around but we had plenty of volunteers to help us and they were all women. This one woman was asking me about the kayaks, she and her husband wanted to find out where we put in, they put the yaks on the back of their truck and followed us back to the put in. My friend couldn’t get over how helpful everybody was and thoroughly enjoyed the whole day, even though she was so tired.
Second idea is really good
That’s the first time I’ve heard of such a solution, and it is truly elegant.
Nice post!