Do any of you pontoon/drift boat guys ever go solo and then hitch a ride back up to your vehicle?

I have done it on the Deschutes before and met a couple really nice guys in the process, and i would probably do it on the Yak, but I have never done it on the O.P. or any of the less traveled road.

That's what mopeds are for.

I have done it but will not do so again. I had to wait more than 1/2 hour to get a ride from Sultan back up to High Bridge . I thought a guy in waders with a rod in hand would have no trouble getting a ride. WRONG!

Another problem is securtiy for all the stuff in the pontoon boat. I carried my rod, but still had to worry about gear in the boat and the boat itself.

I tried it twice and was not pleased either time. I think a moped or bicycle would be a beter answer.

With the way the world is I would not leave my pontoon boat unattended for 30 min. Even if you could lock it to a tree, odds are parts would be missing. Sad but true. I thought about this when I bought my boat and just feel the risk isn't worth it.

New Guy,

I have hitched back to my rig a lot over the years, but I'm finding it's an option of diminishing returns. I tried twice this winter and was surprised that a friendly-looking guy with a fishing rod couldn't get a ride, although some kids that had been fishing turned their truck around and gave me a lift. I take my mountain bike whenever I float now so I'm not dependent on the benevolence of drivers.

Obviously, it's important to be careful where you leave your gear while you shuttle back to your car. I've found that to be a major hassle a couple times, but usually it's a small matter.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

I could tell you a couple of horror stories... Like the time I walked from Cottonwood campground back to Oxbow on the Hoh in bootfoot neoprene waders in the dark... but I kinda like to forget I was ever that stupid.

Nowadays it's either float with a buddy or use a turnaround service if one is available.

If I'd only known about Ted Miller back then...

One thing you can do is request a turnaround on here. Sometimes others are floating that same stretch and will work to help you with the turnaround (most intelligent guys know to offer a few bucks for the trouble once they get back to their ride btw).

I hitch all the time on the Yak but I'm camped at the pullout and the temperature isn't a problem. If you come out at about 6:00pm on the Yak there's plenty of work traffic going back through the canyon heading back to Ellensburg. I have however walked from Umtanum back to Big Rock once after dark... sucked!

Hey cupo

How do you secure your stuff before you moped off to your truck?

I am a runner and I thought about packing the running shoes and running back to the truck, that way I could get my run in too. However, I am worried about losing the gear. There are spots to launch on the Snoqualmie that you can fish from the boat a little ways down and row back to the launch. I do it at the Plumb launch and up above the mouth of the Tolt when I want to get a few hours in and no one to go with.

I say be careful on the Yak, especially in the canyon. There are already a lot of problems with car prowls in that area, especially in the summer. I would use the Shuttle Service at Red's, the trailer park near Ringer, or the Evening Hatch. $12 to $20 for the shuttle is a lot cheaper then getting back to your boat and finding the gear gone and/or the boat gone.

I have a 6ft Kryptonite cable and padlock that I use to lock my boat or moped to a tree. While riding I have everything on me or in the milk crate. The milk crate is secured to the moped's rack with hose clamps. I've got pvc tubing zip-tied to the inside of the crate to hold my rods and break-down oars.