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central vancouver island, b.c.
Canada
2 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2008 : 3:49 PM
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| Personally,I would not take a shuttle bus just to do the Cape Scott trail or any other trail unless it was the only possible way.I don't mind the drive,don't like other costs to add to a trip and also god forbid I get injured or don't feel well and have to wait on someone to pick me up.I like the convience of having my own truck to come and go as I please.On the crime issue it could happen anywhere and I think its probably safer to park in the woods than in any town/city. |
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Port Moody, BC
Canada
261 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2008 : 3:55 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by pacificprincess
My group would be doubly interested if the shuttle bus-water taxi link could be made!
Any thoughts on secure parking in PH?
There's lots of secure parking for Port Hardy, in Campbell River. |
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Victoria, BC
Canada
55 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2008 : 7:34 PM
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Boardwalker, the shuttle bus service will work and be almost a must for many that want to hike the new NCT. It will take time however to become what the WCT has become, and have so much traffic that they have to reserve spaces and only let a certain amount of people on the trail each day etc like on the WCT.
I don't think people may realize who haven't experienced or done the trails, of the logistics that are involved. A posted map of the new route could be helpful so those not in the know can visualize.
The Juan De Fuca Marine Trail, The West Coast Trail and the new North Coast Trail(Shushartie) are mostly thought of and done as a one way hike. The Cape Scott Trail is a two way hike,Cape Scott parking lot to Cape Scott Lighthouse and back to parking lot again. All are very much wilderness situations with the Juan De Fuca Marine Trail being not so extreme, as the main road to Port Renfrew is nearby if you needed to bail etc.
Unless people arrive with 2 autos and put one at each end your going to need a ride back somehow. I'd estimate that if a person were to drive to the Cape Scott parking lot,hike in to the end of Nissan Bight beach where the water supply is, and where the new trail starts, go all the way to the end of the new trail, then you'd need to get back to your car which is about 70 to 80+ kms from where you are via the roads. Hello Shuttle Bus!!!, unless you got a ride at each end or just double back on the trail which almost no-one does for the Juan De Fuca, The West Coast and most likely the new North Trail... Once it gets popular it will get rules like the WCT and thats when the money will flow to those that provide the services..
What is going to happen is the same as the WCT, people will come from all over and underestimate their ability and get screwed up, then things will need to change and rules and regs will apply, just follow the history of the WCT.. I really hope it prospers don`t get me wrong, it`s just it will take time and most likely some mishaps that made the WCT experience have to change..
For those that may not know, if we use a scale of 1-5 for level of difficulty for each trail with 5 being the hardest, and scaling them for the average hiker that is in so-so shape, and still keeping in mind that all are very much wilderness situations, with all that the term wilderness implies, and you always have to be self sufficient, and if your driving to the trail-head yourself.
Juan De Fuca Marine Trail = 3.5 to 4 ; and ride, thumb, or Shuttle needed back to car.
West Coast Trail = 5 ; and ride or Shuttle needed back to car.
Cape Scott Trail = 1; no ride or Shuttle needed back to car.
North Coast Trail(Shushartie) = guessing a 4; and ride or Shuttle needed back to car.
Dave |
Edited by - DaveCan on 01/11/2008 7:41 PM |
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Victoria, BC
Canada
185 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2008 : 8:43 PM
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| I would use it. I suspect this trail will soon become as famous as the West Coast trail...your business may be slow at first, but i'm sure you'll have as many passengers as you can handle before too long. |
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372 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2008 : 12:43 PM
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I will be hiking the North Coast trail this summer with nine other people. We have the boat reserved to pick us up at Shushartie Bay.
We are looking for shuttle transportation from Port Hardy to the Cape Scott trailhead on July 20th. Can anyone help me with that. |
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Victoria, British Columbia
Canada
110 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2008 : 10:19 PM
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| We'll keep you posted on the shuttle, the whole idea is in it's infancy right now. We hope to have it up and running by May if all goes well. Thanks for your interest. |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1425 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2008 : 10:39 PM
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| One thing that you may have overlooked is that many people will drive their car to the trailhead, park there then take the water taxi back to port hardy. Now someone has to go pick up the car - but only one person in the group has to go get the car, the rest can just wait in port hardy until the car retriever gets back. |
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Victoria, BC
Canada
270 Posts |
Posted - 01/15/2008 : 08:33 AM
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Great idea. I think that it is time for a shuttle to Cape Scott Park for a number of reasons that have been given here. The addition of the Shushartie Bay addition makes it even more worthwhile to have a shuttle service to the trailheads. Look forward to it. I am planning a trip in there in early August and would sign up for a shuttle service.
Until the trail gets a lot of traffic you may want to run it on a reservation system unlike the West Coast Express which has a regularly scheduled service to teh West Coast and Juan de Fuca trails in the summer. |
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202 Posts |
Posted - 04/21/2008 : 10:27 AM
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Just noticed that one of the charter companies is offering scheduled drops to Shushartie By this summer. Only $80!! Link is here http://www.capescottwatertaxi.ca/North.Coast.Trail.Shuttle.html
Are there any updates as to the status of a trail bus to the other end? It seems somewhat pointless without it. I might consider doing the trail this summer now as it seems reasonable.
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202 Posts |
Posted - 04/22/2008 : 09:44 AM
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Answered my own question!
Land transport from other end provided by North Island Transportation, phone number 250 949 6300.
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7 Posts |
Posted - 04/22/2008 : 11:32 AM
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As we're from Europe we don't have the chance to drive by our own car. And I'm not sure if unpaved roads are covered in my rental car contract? We can go 250km/h on the Autobahn but we're not used to drive on unpaved logging roads.
So we have to stick to some sort of shuttle. As said before, a waiting rental car would cost more than a shuttle anyways.
As everybody amongst us is looking for untouched nature I don't think driving hords to the trailhead and back is the thing we're and the animals are looking for?
And hey, when we finished the WTC we had some cans of cold beer while sitting in the shuttle ;-) I don't want to drive to the trail head when I have to be afraid to have an accident with some drunken driver.
In my opinion just count the percentage of locals or people with their own car on the WCT and then you can decide if the amount of people is enough to keep the NCT alive? Otherwise you have to make some sort of shuttle.
We would like to have a shuttle but if there is no shuttle, we'll find a way go get there anyways. No one can keep us away doing the trail as sson as possible ;-)
Thank u everybody for putting so much effort and work into the project! |
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New West, BC
Canada
20 Posts |
Posted - 04/22/2008 : 11:54 AM
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| I would definitely use a shuttle service if there was one. $40 sounds about right to me, but it would depend on all the factors already discussed. |
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372 Posts |
Posted - 04/23/2008 : 11:49 AM
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Forty dollars sounds good to me too. There are 10 of us looking for a shuttle ride into the Cape Scott trailhead from Port Hardy on the morning of Sunday, July 20. We will pay $40 each. So if somebody up there in Port Hardy wants to supply that service there's $400
for you. |
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Port Hardy, B.C.
Canada
40 Posts |
Posted - 04/27/2008 : 07:55 AM
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| Hi gang, I am in the process of getting a shuttle service up and running from Port Hardy. It will likely be by reservation only and a minimum number of passengers required. It would be scheduled daily seven days a week. Likely a mid/late May startup. Cheers Al H |
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372 Posts |
Posted - 04/28/2008 : 11:51 AM
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How many passengers would you take on one trip? If you couldn't
get my whole group in your vehicle would you make a second trip in the same day, or the night before? Right now I have ten in my group.
What would you charge? Would you want a deposit? We're trying to get into the Cape Scott trailhead as early as possible on Sunday morning, July 20th. How early would you start? I know, I have a lot of questions. |
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14 Posts |
Posted - 04/28/2008 : 3:12 PM
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hey vic...you say you have a boat reserved to pick you up at shushartie bay?How many people does it carry? What's the cost?quote:
Originally posted by vic
How many passengers would you take on one trip? If you couldn't
get my whole group in your vehicle would you make a second trip in the same day, or the night before? Right now I have ten in my group.
What would you charge? Would you want a deposit? We're trying to get into the Cape Scott trailhead as early as possible on Sunday morning, July 20th. How early would you start? I know, I have a lot of questions.
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372 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2008 : 05:19 AM
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| It will take 10 people....and there are 10 of us...$60 each. |
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14 Posts |
Posted - 04/29/2008 : 09:53 AM
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thanks vic.
we charge $450 for the trip from hardy to shushartie,book in advance.Our boats hold 12.Our sched runs every morning from hardy to shushartie bay in summer months(this is $80/person...good for small groups)...we will even run out empty,just to be at the trail end every morning(summer) daily to bring in people waiting to come into hardy.... check us out www.capescottwatertaxi.ca quote:
Originally posted by vic
It will take 10 people....and there are 10 of us...$60 each.
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7 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2008 : 10:23 PM
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| So I have seen that there is a shuttle now from Port Hardy. But there is nothing planned for the stretch from Victoria to Port Hardy? Is there a bus travelling on a regular schedule? Is rental car the only chance to get there? Do you guys if some is driving up there regularly to get a ride? Like the Postal Service, Trucks, Delivery Service .... |
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Port McNeill, BC
Canada
108 Posts |
Posted - 05/06/2008 : 08:44 AM
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| There is a bus every day that goes from Victoria to Port Hardy, 7 days a week. |
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shuttle bus survey
