Worried about driving the road in September; however, need some input on the jaunting carts, please. One party member has a little tough time walking far - how far do you need to go to see some pearls of the walk? Level walking? Regarding the carts, two of the party are 6'5" and one is 6'6' and one is 5'9''. Sounds like the knee space needed will not work for the carts - correct? The pictures look beautiful of this area. Creative thoughts appreciated!
Posted by
RIchmond, BC,Canada
933 posts
The jaunting cars are tight squeeze. I'm six feet tall and everyone else in the car was shorter and we found ourselves having to sit at odd angles to fit. There was one point on the ride that was quite steep and we were all asked to get out and walk up the hill so that may be an issue for someone who has trouble walking. It may depend on which direction you do the trip. I came across the lake first, but I think you can do it in the other direction. Maybe hiring bicycles would work better?
Posted by
Gig Harbor, Washington, USA
1864 posts
We did this a few years ago - the lake was the last part. We walked one section( a few hundred feet) which was uphill, because it is too hard for the horse to pull the cart with five people in it. The cart is a very tight fit for four people - if we ever did it again we would pay extra so only the two of us would be riding. The seats are just boards - very hard on the tail bone. That said, it is a beautiful trip and definitely worth it. I don't think you can drive through there. If you could drive, I think it would not be very pleasant, since the road is single track and you would need to yield to the horse carts.
Posted by
Seattle
255 posts
We drove a car through the Gap 3 years ago. Nobody said boo. We needed to back up once for an Irish Post car. He waived and smiled and was very nice. Yes, it is basically one lane with very tight curves. (Who wants to drive fast through that scenery anyway?) Yes it is likely that you'll need to back up or at least yield. As long as you don't mind sneers from the cart drivers, you can do it. (Or at least you could then - check locally to be sure like we did.) Main recommendation for driving a car: if you are driving a stick shift DON'T come into the Gap from the back side (Black Valley). The road is very steep and curvey. It is very difficult for those who are casual users of manual transmissions.
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2988 posts
There's a rather prominent sign posted next to Kate Kearneys Cottage, stating that the road thru the Gap is "primarily restricted to horses & trap, ponies, walkers, residents, access to accommodations and business purposes".
Can you drive thru anyway? Sure. Should you? No, but if you must do it at least try to avoid the peak hours between 9 AM and 5 PM.