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Hello all. Just wondering if anyone has experience either using an outfitter's shuttle service or connecting with someone local who offers vehicle shuttles? I'm specifically looking for recommendations and expected cost. Presently I'm considering a spring solo trip that would start at Kawawaymog and finish at Opeongo. All I would need is someone either to pick up my vehicle at access #1 and drop it at #1, or alternatively I could pick the driver up en route.
In just having a quick look online I see Algonquin Base Camp probably would do this for me at a HUGE price tag, but even then I'd have to rent one of their canoes. If I were going to rent I'd likely choose Algonquin Outfitters as they offer the solo boats I'm interested in trying. However, from the website it doesn't appear they offer shuttle service. Other outfitters who advertise this service seem more oriented to the east side of the Park. I wonder if there are any locals who would do this privately that could be recommended?
Anyway, I would appreciate all comments and experiences. Thanks in advance everyone.
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i have the same questions? shuttle to k mog or brent from washego highway11 north. some time this spring? thanks
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I would call and ask Algonquin Outfitters about shuttle service, they're a reasonably big business for a canoe rental shop, with multiple locations, so even if it's not a service they advertise you might be able to arrange something.
But it wouldn't be cheap. I don't know how much Algonquin Basecamp was quoting you, or if that was a turnoff by itself without the rental requirement, but a shuttle between Kawawaymog and Opeongo is going to cost a lot because it's a 185 km drive each way. It's like a taxi ride from Toronto to Gravenhurst where you'd have to cover the driver's return trip as well cause he can't pick up another fare.
You could try looking for people interested in doing the same trip in the opposite direction as you so that you can shuttle each other.
Or try stringing a journey together. If Algonquin Outfitters at the Opeongo store won't (affordably) drive you to Kawawaymog, maybe they will to Hunstville, where they have a store. From there you could hitchhike, or take the Ontario Northland bus if the schedule matches up, to South River. I think Voyageur Quest has a reasonably priced shuttle from South River to Kawawaymog, not sure if you have to be a customer. In this scenario I'm assuming you picked up your rental canoe at Opeongo, drove it to Kawawaymog, paddled it to Opeongo and returned it there, so you just need to get to your car.
Sorry but my only experience being shuttled between two Algonquin access points was between Benoir and Kingscote, obviously a much smaller deal.
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Try contacting AO. Shuttles used to be listed on their website, but it's not there now. What you can find is in a pdf:
For group rentals or outfitting customers without their own transportation, we can deliver canoes, equipment and people to many access points. Due to insurance regulations, our transportation services are available only to our outfitting customers.
Vehicle/people shuttles are notoriously expensive. I doubt one outfitter would be any cheaper than another.
It's a lot of gas and time out of pocket for them to do this. That goes for all shuttle services, not just Algonquin Park.
Barbara
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IT will be silly expensive. A few years ago I got a quote for a shuttle from the west side to the east side. It was $650. This year I got a quote for a shuttle from Algonquin Bound Oxtongue to Algongquin Bound Madawaska, $220 (thought that was reasonable). Last year I paid $75 for a shuttle from AO Oxtongue to Pine Landing (17km, Ouch)!
I imagine Kawawaymog to Opeongo would be $400+
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If it were me, I'd probably hitchhike with a paddle in my hand so that anyone would know I'm trying to get back to my canoe and we have a pretty solid fraternity when it comes to paddlers looking out for one another. I know my dad used to do this when he and I would do float trips along the Susquehanna River as a kid...he'd walk up to the highway with a paddle in hand and leave me with the canoe and gear. Was usually back within a half hour. Of course, those were simpler times some thirty-five years ago and I wouldn't recommend a single female undertake such a venture. But I think you are in relatively safe territory on the highways and byways around Algonquin's perimeter. Maybe a good way to meet a tripping partner as well!
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When are you leaving from Kawawaymog? I'm terminating a trip there near the end of May and I live in Huntsville.
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Place a ride wanted add on kijiji. We picked up a shuttle driver this way a couple years ago. Met him at canoe lake, left our car there and he drove us to rain. We picked up our canoes there so no canoe to worry about transporting. When we got to canoe lake 5 days later we loaded the canoes for return to canoe Algonquin . Worked out good for us as we were heading to south river after the trip. If you can work out the logistics it might be worth a shot. Locals living in and around Huntsville are use to the need for the service and often eager to make some easy cash. Worth a shot.
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Thanks for all the great responses everyone! That's exactly what I was hoping for--a variety of ideas and experiences.
swedish pimple -- are you just looking for a ride? Washego is a bit out of the way for me as I'm coming from Ottawa but there's a possibility I could get you from Huntsville up to Kawawaymog if that can be of any help. Stay tuned--timing likely to be around May 14.
DanPM -- That's a string of GREAT ideas. Thank you! I'll try connecting with AO first. It occurs to me they might consider lending me a driver or connecting me with someone at the Huntsville store. I could bring that person along from Huntsville up to Kawawaymog, then have the driver return the vehicle to Huntsville. Then all I have to do is connect back to Huntsville at the end of the trip.
Barbara -- Thanks for the link and excerpt. I hadn't seen that on the AO site. I agree they're all going to be charging the same type of fees for this service. I'm really hoping to have only my own vehicle involved to help save on costs--hopefully only to have to pay for someone's time, rather than excess fuel and mileage charges.
MartinG -- Agreed re. cost based on what I was seeing quoted on various outfitter sites. At those rates forget it for sure. I love the idea of a one-way trip, but it's not like there aren't plenty of alternatives. $75 for 17km -- Yikes!
PaPaddler - I love it! 'Paddling a ride'. Your dad rocks!! Different times for sure--as demonstrated by his willingness to leave you alone to guard the gear. 
I'm probably a little too detail-oriented . . . okay make that anal-retentive . . .to leave my transportation to chance though.
Tripper -- I'm trying to plan my trip for just before the bugs come out in force, so I'm starting on the 14th of May from Kawawaymog, ending on the long weekend. I know I know -- there's no real predicting the bugs but my experience generally supports this timing. We'll see. It would be great if we could connect on this but I think I'm a little too early for you. I'm not entirely sure yet which day I'll be coming out at Opeongo, probably Sunday the 22nd. Is that of any use? From the description on your blog (great blog by the way, love the trip logs!) it looks like yours may be a one-way trip as well?
Shayne74 -- Perfect! That's just the kind of experience I was hoping to hear about. I don't suppose you still have the guy's contact you could send to my Inbox? Since you had a successful experience I'd prefer to start there. Failing that and if the AO plan above doesn't work, I'll likely try the Kijiji route for sure. It would probably need to be my vehicle that gets used though, given the solo boat rental from AO. Thanks for this idea.
Thanks again everyone!
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In our experience, from the middle of May until the end of June is the worst of the blackfly season.
Portages will be the worst for them, though we've had clouds follow us on small lakes.
Shuttling just your vehicle requires two people...one to drive your vehicle, and another person with the company vehicle to get them back to where they started.
Maybe it's me, but trusting strangers with my vehicle would not be an option.
And I sure wouldn't want my husband hitch-hiking anywhere. The assumption that the Algonquin Park area is safer than any other is pie-in-the-sky dreaming.
Barbara
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Unfortunately I do not still have his contact info. I tried texting him last summer and the number i had was no longer in service. His name was Tim. That all I have to go with. Sorry.
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I have often managed to get in and out just ahead of the black fly boom on Victoria Day weekend, but I'm concerned that with the mild winter they may be more likely to come out earlier than that this year.
Everyone has their own comfort levels when it comes to things like hitchhiking or letting someone else drive your car... I've hitchhiked long distance in northern Ontario on hwy 11 and also between two trailheads in a national park to get back to my car (I've also hitchhiked on the 401 but I wouldn't recommend that to anyone)... my concern would be, would a business, acting in its commercial capacity as an outfitter, drive a client's car? I know there are commercial settings in which staff do drive clients' cars (think valet parking, or those companies that drive you home in your own car when you're drunk), but does that require some special category of insurance that a typical outfitter wouldn't have? Might be easier to convince someone to do that informally than an outfitting business. But I could be way off, it's worth asking.
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Wow, I like the idea of just hitching a ride with your paddle. That's just me.
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@DanPM, I dont know how they are insured but the outfitters I mentioned, AO and Algonquin Bound will shuttle your car.
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Like Martin, I am sure AO has their insurance up to par. From experience in other industries I suspect if there was an accident, your insurance would kick in first (as most insurance policies allow for others over a certain age to drive your vehichle with your permission) and then theirs would kick in if yours did not cover it all.
In terms of shuttles, commercial ones are going to be expensive because it costs a lot to run a shuttle and their goal is to make money. When we have done our own shuttles and it is time intensive and still expensive enough - so it comes down to cost vs time. Last year we started at Kiosk and came out at Opeongo. We got someone to pick us up in our vehicle (if we had not found a friend to do this we would have had to drive to Opeongo and arrange to leave the car there which would have been another day). Then we drove to Kiosk in our other car. The day after we got picked up at Opeongo, we drove back to Kiosk to get the other car. So we saved some money but still had the cost of gas for the second drive up and the time invested.
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Some of the suggested shuttles in Kevin C's books are a good deal. We did the math on a shuttle for the Mattawa River. When we considered the cost of driving 2 cars to Mattawa plus parking in North Bay it was a nobrainer to pay for a shuttle.
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Thanks for this ChristineCanoes. I'm pretty flexible in terms of how to do this, basically I just want to be able to go in the one place and come out the other without breaking the bank. If I can't manage to connect with somebody 'on the ground', I'll likely try to bribe a friend or family member into helping me out. But that would involve multiple vehicles coming all the way from Ottawa which compared to the scenarios you mention has to be much worse. I have only done 2 such trips before. The first involved 2 vehicles. The second saw me hire somebody I worked with at a reduced rate to drive up to Kiosk with us and run my car all the way home. Then a week later someone else drove up to meet us at Magnetawan L. Good thing my car was on the high side for fuel-efficiency!
I managed to get a suggestion for somebody in the Park area who may be able to assist but I haven't heard anything back yet. I keep wondering if I could connect with somebody in Whitney who wouldn't mind giving up 5 or 6 hours of a Saturday to make some coin. They'd just need a vehicle to get from Whitney to Opeongo Lake. Then hop in with me for the ride to Kmog, drop me off and bring my vehicle back to Opeongo. Maybe I'll try contacting the Mad Musher or some other businesses in that area. Granted I wouldn't trust just anybody with my car but as long as I could get a recommendation from somebody reputable I'd probably be comfortable enough.
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