uber/lyft for a shuttle on the upper lehigh?

[mellowluke]

I drift the lehigh a few times a year and it's always a bit of the pain in the *** as there's no shuttle. Has anyone used uber or lyft as a shuttle to get back to your put in or take out? I've avoided it during covid but wanted to revisit the potential for this fishing year.

 

[pcray1231]

Not on the Lehigh but I did it elsewhere with kayaks. Gotta leave the boat obvioisly. I always choose the uber shuttle to begin the trip rather than end it. Then you don't have the worry in the back of your mind during the trip.

Go to put in. Unload yak and bigger items, bicycle lock to tree. Drive to take out. Uber back to put in. Float to take out.

Drawback is "only in civilization". Finding an uber is tough 10 miles back some dirt road in the middle of nowhere, lol.

 

[mellowluke]

Yeah, my put-ins on the lehigh are right off of roads, so I don't see why it wouldn't work. I just don't want to go up there with the game plan to grab an uber/lyft and be stuck 6-7 miles away from the vehicle needed to tow.

 

[pcray1231]

Hence ubering to put in.

If you don't get an uber or not get one quickly, day is ruined or delayed. But.... You're not stuck miles away from vehicle, you can get home.

And I dunno about you, but for me it's a mental thing. If I'm floating a river worried about something like that. It sucks. I'd rather have the nervous part out of the way and know I'm home free when I push off.

 

[afishinado]

Hence ubering to put in.

If you don't get an uber or not get one quickly, day is ruined or delayed. But.... You're not stuck miles away from vehicle, you can get home.

And I dunno about you, but for me it's a mental thing. If I'm floating a river worried about something like that. It sucks. I'd rather have the nervous part out of the way and know I'm home free when I push off.

^ Brilliant!!

 

[mellowluke]

Pcray the USA supply chain needs your help! Genius!

 

[D-nymph]

Depends where you are. Some towns, even mid sized college towns, don't always have an uber service available early in the morning, but you can get a ride home from the bar at 1:00 am! I don't even bother with finding shuttles any more, if others want to fish from my drift boat, they can drive the shuttle vehicle, it's pretty simple.

 

[pcray1231]

I think the point was there are no "others". What do you do when you want to float something solo? I guess I come at it from a fishing kayak perspective, not a drift boat perspective.

 

[D-nymph]

I think the point was there are no "others". What do you do when you want to float something solo? I guess I come at it from a fishing kayak perspective, not a drift boat perspective.

I didn't see where the original poster defined what he was floating, kayak, raft, canoe, drifter & he never mentions being alone.

But what do I do when I want to float something solo? I use a small outboard or go wade fishing.

I have tried the Uber route twice & both times the uber was not available in the morning, so I paid some rando who was willing to shuttle me for $20. It was total luck that I found someone both times.

 

[mellowluke]

Not only when you go solo, but also just flat out for convenience. If you float the upper d, there's multiple shuttle services. Not sure why one of the white water companies haven't bolted on a shuttle service to their offerings. I know I'd probably use them (or lyft/uber) if they'd pick me up.

 

[Millsertime]

PM sent

 

[Canoetripper]

As someone who doesn't have either a uber/lyft account, but many years of experience needing help with canoe trip shuttles prior to the age of internet, here is what I always did the old fashioned way that got help/results, and I hope will work for you.

The first phone call is always to the local Chamber of Commerce and ask if they know any retired outdoorsman who would be interested in helping another fellow outdoorsman with a shuttle. They usually do. The same thing works with local bait/tackle shops, etc.

I am sure that if you do a little bit of research you can easily find someone with nothing to do with uber/lyft that will want to help you.

Best of luck.

 

[krayfish2]

Luke,
Pretty sure you can get Lyft or Uber in the sections between JT and Sladington.

If you are solo and don't have service like up on the D, it sucks because you'll need to leave boat / gear unattended during the run. If you are fishing with someone, easy. Drive separate.. leave other guys car at take out. Both ride in your rig to the launch. Drop boat, leave them with the boat and head to the take out. Drive back to the launch in their car. All your gear is attended but it's a pain in the *** because you drive a lot more than you would have to. The other option is to ride together, drop the boat. Leave that person with the boat while you head to the takeout and have a pre-scheduled Uber waiting for you to run you back to the launch. Let's driving and all your gear is still protected.

I've seen a couple of pretty scruffy folks there over the yearsand would rather not leave my boat and for fishing rods sitting unattended for half an hour.

 

[mellowluke]

Yep, I agree. I usually put in, drive my boat to the take out with the second car following. Then we drive back to the put in and hope I don't have to exercise the boat insurance policy. Then when the day is over, pack up the boat and drive back to the put in to get the second car. Overall just a pain compared to the upper D schedule, put in --> fish -->shuttle drives the rig to take out --> take out.

If there was a reliable shuttle, I'd definitely pay it on the lehigh. Upper D shuttles aren't cheap anymore, but definitely worth it IMO. Seems like a no brainer to have the white water companies to run a side hustle during April / May when they are releasing out of FEW.

 

[D-nymph]

My experience with shuttle services & driftboats/rafts (I want a shuttle service to drive my truck/trailer for me from the put in to take out) is that places with high numbers of fishermen (Delaware, South Holston, Arkansas, etc.) have these services available. Places where the primary river recreation is white water pleasure boating, shuttles are usually not available unless you ride with them on their bus when they are taking a group of 20 people or whatever to the put in. On the Youghiogheny, I've not found a shuttle service above the rapids who was willing to drive my vehicle (If anyone knows of one, send me a PM!!!!). The reason I was told by the whitewater companies why they won't drive my vehicle is... insurance. The whitewater company doesn't want the hassle/problem if one of their summer employees dings your vehicle or wrecks it. And they aren't willing to carry the extra insurance for something they don't do very often.

I know some guides in my area who use locals, but they aren't giving up their contact & I understand why. This is why I've mostly given up on even trying to find shuttles & we just take 2 vehicles. To me this way is less hassle & less stress wondering if the dude is even going to show up. If I'm on a river & there's a service available, I just consider that a big bonus & an extra easy day.

 

[pcray1231]

My experience comes from kayak. No trailers to deal with.

The tourist places will shuttle their clients that rent from them, and take your personal yak if you ask pretty please. However, these are not generally the places I'm looking to float, as they are stacked with 300 other people putting in and taking out at the same places and it's a floating party, not exactly what I'm looking for. They're tourist summer fun destinations, not catering to anglers.

I want to float Penns, the J, Bald Eagle, Pine through the gorge, Skuke, Little Skuke, Swatara, and other such smaller waters. And a creek yak is a fantastic way to reach large stretch of water like this! There aren't these massive tourist operations. Shuttle services don't exist.

If someone's comin with me and has their own car, easy peasy. Even better both cars haul the yaks, saves a trip. But, if I'm alone, or even if with somebody but it's a 5 hr trip and we don't wanna bring 2 vehicles, it's definitely tougher.

 

[jrmyln]

Is the fly shop in Weissport still open? Maybe they can help with shuttling.
You can also check with some of the rafting companies. I've had some luck with them in the past with shuttles and raft repairs.

 

[CLSports]

I tried the Uber method one time at the Lehigh Gap takeout and the guy could not find the ramp! He thought by my location I was on top of the bridge, not under it! I tried a second time with another driver and was successful. It is tricky, but can be done. It took a while too since there were not many in the area.

If you do Bowmanstown to the Gap you could just hike or bike back up the trail. A few miles if you have the time.

 

[SBecker]

You can always get ahold of me. However, I am not cheap, and may drive your vehicle off a bridge. Chances you take with us locals.

Becker

 

[krayfish2]

Shane,
Might call you for a few if you are serious. Same number? Still in Palmerton area?