CONSIDER SHUTTLING AT THE START, a useful Colorado Trail tip.
If you are planning a one-way Trail trip, consider planning to leave your car at your end point, where you’ll finish, and arrange for transportation (shuttler or other) to your start point.
Benefits of leaving your car at your end point include that it will await you at the end of your trip when your exact timing is not known. CT travelers often find that having their car at the end is a comforting thought during the trip. Another benefit is that when you arrange shuttle or other transportation at the beginning of your trip, your timing is usually known and that will assist in making the arrangements.
This strategy works well for segment-, section- and thru-travelers.
A common example is thru-hikers starting at Waterton Canyon in Denver. Embracing this strategy, they plan driving to Durango at the start of their trip. (It is a really nice drive!) They make arrangements for long term parking at, say, the Durango Transit Center or Buckhorn Limo. Knowing their start date, they book transportation by plane, bus (and maybe even add some train) for one of the days prior to their start. (This facilitates advanced bookings that sometimes save money.)
An example that pertains to a segment- or section-trip is to make arrangements with your shuttler to meet you at your end point. When you rendezvous with them, have them shuttle you to your start point.
Beginning your trip this way and accomplishing your shuttle at the start, when your timing is usually known, can help a lot in making shuttle (or other transportation) arrangements for a known day and time. Ending your CT trip, it is likely your timing will be tough to predict. Having your own vehicle waiting where you’ll end often makes things easier and proves a source of comfort.
