LF Shuttle for Upper buff /Poncha hiking

[wgonfan]

We (2 adults 2 youth) are backpacking the Ponca Wilderness next week & and will start at the Centerpoint trailhead on Thursday & will end around Steel Creek on Sunday... We were looking for a place to park/shuttle. can anyone recommend someone? BOC can do it, but $40 seems a bit high for a one way 3mile shuttle trip.

[sig]

We have used BOC in the past.

When you consider they send one of their vehicles and two people to move a car, plus the time and gas to drive the 3.5 miles from BOC to Centerpoint, 3.5 back, 3 miles from BOC to Steel, 3 miles back...

What's that take? A half hour? Times the two drivers. Plus business costs?

You could also hitchhike. We've done that before in that area.

Good luck and have a fun trip!

[Tim Eubanks]

We use Lost Valley or Buffalo River Canoe. Price will probably be similar. You could drive into Jasper and find someone sitting around the square with nothing to do. If you have time try out Low Gap Cafe. Worth the stop for sure.

[wgonfan]

Lost valley canoe quoted $10. Thanks guys!

[sig]

Sounds like a deal for you and a money loser for them! Yay for calling around.

It's also possible BOC doesn't want to be in the shuttle business so they price it high.

Either way, have fun! Share pics and stories!

[hollohead]

Hands down LVC beats BOC in every way. The reason the price is 10.00 is because they are good , fair people. The round trip from Ponca to Centerpoint is about 6 miles. 40.00 is a rip off.

[Pate]

I agree with hollohead LVC are great people and deserve

[sig]

Roundtrip from Ponca to Centerpoint, then roundtrip to Steel Creek. That's at least a half hour of driving so $10 doesn't even pay the wages of the two drivers required much less gas, insurance, profit, etc.

But whatever. LVC is doing fine without my business advice :)

It's nice to have choices in that area.

[wgonfan]

I wasn't needing a shuttle from steel creek, as we planned to hike back to LVC or BOC. $10 is an awesome deal that will earn my business for a long time when ever I'm up in that area.... I would of considered $20 to 25 to be fair... the LVC driver will probably get that difference as a $15 tip.

$40 from BOC was for him to drive with us to the TH in our vehicle & then he drive it back to his place - where we would hike to at the end of our trip (so only one employee involved)... Furthermore that $40 is higher than the rates on his website and even higher than some of there multiple point hiking (ie Compton to centerpoint, boxely to steel creek ) or canoe shuttles. It's a high quote & like you said I'm assuming it's because they don't want to be in the shuttle business.

[sig]

A) yes $40 sounds high for that.

B) you said in the initial post that you'd "end around Steel Creek" which to me sounded like you wanted to get picked up there

C) have a good trip