Low water and long ramps - what do you do?

With the water in most lakes at their lowest, I’m curious to know how you handle loading up your yak at the bottom of a long boat ramp.

If no one else is using the ramp I tend to just park perpendicular to the water, and kinda awkwardly plop the boat into the bed of my truck with bed extender, loosely secure it and then drive up to the top to unload/pack.

But what about a narrow little ramp like Capell up at Berryessa? The water is wwwwway down, making for a super long and steep one lane narrow ramp. I’d really like to launch out of Capell,...but that ramp. Is it just a no go situation, or are there some techniques y’all use to negotiate problematic ramps?

My buddy sent me this youtube right after I submitted this thread,...naturally. Gonna test this method out soon.



Anyway, still curious if you have any methods of steep ramp boat retrieval you’d like to share.

Cheers.

Depending on the size and amount of people using the ramp I've either driven my truck to the water or rolled it on the scupper cart wheels.  Going down is the easy part, but pulling it up a steep ramp is a pain.  I have a buddy that made a strap that he wears around his shoulder to connect to the T handle at the front of the kayak.  I believe there is something similar for hunters to drag their game.  It allows you to use your core and legs rather than just arm strength.

I like the video you posted and will try to make something similar.  I don't use a bed extender, but have an idea to use two of the internal bed tie downs instead.  Thanks for posting.  Another DIY for my to do list.   

i just did this.

i hesitate to say the spot..but the ramp is long.  not only the ramp,  but i went up the ramp and down a walkway to my truck.

how heavy is your loaded up rig?  i never weighed mine, but it was only briefly sucky.  mine might be 150lbs??

At Capell just park in the dirt off to the side.  People do it all the time.

My buddy sent me this youtube right after I submitted this thread,...naturally. Gonna test this method out soon.



Anyway, still curious if you have any methods of steep ramp boat retrieval you’d like to share.

Cheers.

Clever!

At his speed pulling the kayak up the ramp I can't imagine his cart and bearing lasting very long 

Guys have been doing similiar ideas at Shelter Cove. That is a bit longer of a ramp than any around here.

Guys have been doing similiar ideas at Shelter Cove. That is a bit longer of a ramp than any around here.

Yep. I thread one of the cargo straps normally used for tying down on my roof racks through eyelets inside my trunk and through the steel on the bow that the T handle is tied to to make a triangle then drive it up the hill. Works pretty well all the way to the campsite from the ramp.