Picking up Hitchers in well traveled climbing areas

Today a friend i broke down on the side of the road on the way to the crag. Much to my surprise other climbers passed right on by as we tried to hitch the rest of the way. Just wondering if people have a pre-requisite to picking people up?

As the old bumpersticker reads:

Gas, Grass, or Ass...no one rides for free

I once picked up a boarder coming home from night skiing at Brighton. I had one of those GMC Jimmy's with the seat down and he just climbed in the back with all of our skiis and boards and junk.

Then I hit the black ice and tumbled over a 40 foot embankment, rolling 1 and a half times.

He just asked for his board and said,"If its all the same with you guys I'll find another ride home." poor guy. I felt so bad.

but the truck had a small dent in the roof and the door. No broken glass. Towed it out and drove it home the next day.

sean connors wrote:Today a friend i broke down on the side of the road on the way to the crag. Much to my surprise other climbers passed right on by as we tried to hitch the rest of the way. Just wondering if people have a pre-requisite to picking people up?

Hi Sean,
Did you pull the rope from your pack and display it in a visible spot?
I've done this in the past and usually climbers spot the rope and pull over for you.

Harness in hand.

how did you know they were climbers? stickers on the car?

My climbing partner and I broke down at Vedawoo in Wyoming got towed to Laramie, went to a bar and got drunk, stood on the side of the road and hitched for about two minutes and got a ride back to Fort Collins.

That's my only hitch-hiking story.

Ya Chad A big fat Prana and La Sportiva sticker on the back windshield

that stinks, I'd pick up fellow climbers. I haven't had to yet, but I have picked up skiers and boarders in the past.

Jimn Seiler wrote:My climbing partner and I broke down at Vedawoo in Wyoming got towed to Laramie, went to a bar and got drunk, stood on the side of the road and hitched for about two minutes and got a ride back to Fort Collins. That's my only hitch-hiking story.

Thats awesome!

I don't like to pick up hitch hikers on the front range freeways, but around boulder or in the mountain towns I usually will pick people up. I've never had a problem hitching in the these areas and have found the greatest success following the two points below:

1) Look presentable, I usually don't like to pick up people who look like they just escaped from the Manson family compound. A backpack or other outdoor gear usually helps. Lookin like a dirty hippie does not.

2) Hitch from a spot that is clearly visible and is easy for cars to pull over. I won't pull over for hitchers if I feel like I going to slow down traffic or cause an accident.

I've always been picked up/picked other people up unless the car is too full to fit anyone.

You guys must look super sketch. ;)

Zach Allen wrote:I've always been picked up/picked other people up unless the car is too full to fit anyone. You guys must look super sketch. ;)

I've picked up a hitch hiker or two when I lived in the mountains. A couple,to a few miles is cool. One time though, coming back from Alaska, we picked up this guy in Montana, he was cool and all, but not cool enough to have him ride all the way back to Colorado (he was going to Boulder, us Frisco). I was pretty happy when we took him to our next stop and my boyfriend said Adios!

: )

I pick up just about anyone, as long as I'm not in a company or gov't vehicle, and they don't have a big dog. Never had a problem and have picked up loads of people. Picked up this one guy once, took him 30 miles, after about 15 I figured out he was totally deaf. He had just got out of jail and had his car towed. Ended up calling the towing company for him to save him a lot of hassle and helping him get his car back. Hard to use a phone when you're deaf.

I've hitched from Vegas to El Paso to Yuma to Denver to Rapid City. From Denver to Chicago via Michigan and Oklahoma. From Chicago to Florida and back. That's only the start. Lots of hitching, but those days are gone. My take on it is that liberals seem to pick you up, while really conservative religious people drive past with a look of disgust or fear on their mug or they pretend not to see you. Except truckers, who will pick you up just for company and they like to talk about either meth or Jesus and play BOTH kinds of music, country AND western.

Getting picked up by climbers, even if you are obviously a climber might be tough, due to the fact that climbers GOING climbing have a destination, they're jazzed to get there, excited to rope up and start cranking, and don't want any hassles or delays (unless you're a cute girl climber?)