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  Topic Name: Great Divide Trail Shuttle Question on: April 02, 2019, 06:57:31 PM
rdswartz


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« on: April 02, 2019, 06:57:31 PM »

My SO and I are planning on riding the Great Divide Trail south to north this summer. We thought someone would be able to drop us off at the border, but that fell through. I've seen a lot on forums about shuttle services but am having trouble finding much information about them. We would prefer to line something up ahead of time so there is no question about getting to the start. We're flexible about where we fly in to (El Paso, Tuscon, Phoenix, etc.). We looked into taking the Amtrak or Greyhound to get closer, but it's unclear if shuttles there are any more reliable. Anyone have some good resources about getting to Antelope Wells and booking a shuttle ahead of time?
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  Topic Name: Great Divide Trail Shuttle Question Reply #1 on: April 05, 2019, 08:36:43 PM
SlowDave


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« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2019, 08:36:43 PM »

I am in Phoenix and we are Warm Showers hosts.  We can probably help you out.

Dave
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  Topic Name: Great Divide Trail Shuttle Question Reply #2 on: May 29, 2019, 01:13:06 PM
Inertiaman


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« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2019, 01:13:06 PM »

This may be too late to be relevant, but my reply to a similar inquiry documents a straightforward shuttle option:
There is a cheap daily shuttle, which for reasons I've never understood, has not been well promoted in various GDMBR info sources.  For about $50 you can get a ride in a van, with your bike in the attached enclosed trailer, directly from central Phoenix to the Antelope Wells border crossing in less than 6 hours.

I used this service to return from the border to Phoenix after completing the GDMBR north to south.  You'll most likely be packed tight in a 12 or 15 seat van with no English speakers, so it might be a tad boring if you don't speak any Spanish.  But the drivers are courteous and professional and the trip is very deterministic.  Shuttles leave from Phoenix at about 6am daily. Contact Transportes Lozoya at 602-253-0843 or at 2208 N 16th St, Phoenix, AZ 85006.  Try to have a Spanish speaker call them if you're calling . . . the person answering usually speaks very little English.  Their shuttle business is largely based upon the many families that go back/forth between the Chihuahua region of Mexico and the Phoenix area.  Its sort of a random convenience to bikepackers that the path of this trip is through the Antelope Wells border crossing.

With a noon to 1pm ish arrival at Antelope Wells, you'll have ample time that day to ride north 45 miles to Hachita.
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  Topic Name: Great Divide Trail Shuttle Question Reply #3 on: May 29, 2019, 01:35:43 PM
SlowDave


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« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2019, 01:35:43 PM »

Wow, that is a great resource.  It is the first time I have heard of it and I live in PHX.  There are people who advertise on CL and they wanted $200-250 for an AW pick up and transport to PHX.  They didn't come off as super reliable so I didn't use them.  I didn't want to get stuck in AW with no cell signal wondering if my ride would show up.  A regularly scheduled service relieves those worries.
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  Topic Name: Great Divide Trail Shuttle Question Reply #4 on: May 29, 2019, 01:47:43 PM
Inertiaman


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« Reply #4 on: May 29, 2019, 01:47:43 PM »

I know, its sort of shocking that so few people are aware of this option.  I did a lot of reading/prep/searching when planning my logistics, and never came across it.  I only learned of it while chatting w/ the Border Patrol guy after I arrived at the end of my journey in October 2017.  He said my timing was good, that there would likely be two vans coming through about an hour later.  Stroke of luck for me . . . I had been planning to ride back to I-10 for a different shuttle.

During my shuttle, I talked to the driver and he told me they was generally one van every day, and sometimes two (weekends and holidays especially).  I even called the service in February when I originally posted this in the other thread, and confirmed they are still running these shuttles.  So should be a deterministic option.

I suppose if you had a larger 3-4 person group it might be riskier (van could be full), but in that case the pre-arranged private shuttles aren't so unreasonably priced.

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  Topic Name: Great Divide Trail Shuttle Question Reply #5 on: June 04, 2019, 09:52:01 PM
offroute


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« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2019, 09:52:01 PM »

Excellent info here, inertiaman.

I can vouch for this company after stumbling into them quite inadvertently at the southern terminus. Cheap, fast, easy. I had a shower in Hachita so I didn't offend anyone...

Greyhound has been very hit/miss. Some drivers try to get you on, others are plain lazy. From Lordsburg west, not recommended.
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