<p>I really enjoy hiking up mountains, down- not so much. Any ideas for hikes where I can descend by chair lift, train, shuttle etc? Thanks!</p>
<p>Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. (Cog railway down … or car, if you have someone who prefers the easy way up and down mountains.)</p>
<p>Lycabettus Hill in Athens – we did just that (mostly because we hiked up the side away from funicular without realizing that there is one.)</p>
<p>Not a mountain, but I believe you can raft partway through the Grand Canyon and then hike out. 
I have gone down and back up on foot, and actually agree with you – I was unbelievably sore after the “down” portion, and the up was not so bad.</p>
<p>Sandia Crest near Albuquerque, NM. Hike up La Luz Trail, take the Tram down. (But only after Oct 15th since all National Forest trails in the wilderness area have been closed down due to the extreme fire danger this summer.)</p>
<p>BTW, awesome restaurant at the tram house at the top of the trail.</p>
<p>Pikes Peak in Colorado, hike up (or run if you do the Pikes Peaks Marathon) and take the cog railway back down.</p>
<p>Grand Canyon, AZ-- ride a mule to the bottom and hike back up via Bright Angel Trail.</p>
<p>Funny you should mention that. The top of my leg is sore today from a fairly modest hike earlier today.</p>
<p>Beware - Pikes Peak is a major hike! <a href=“http://www.trailsandopenspaces.org/hiking-pikes-peak.html[/url]”>http://www.trailsandopenspaces.org/hiking-pikes-peak.html</a> - “…The trail offers the greatest base-to-base summit climb in Colorado, with an altitude gain of over 7,800 feet in 12-plus miles.” The thinner air at the top adds to the challenge. </p>
<p>Colorado has several ski centers that run ski lifts in the summer. (Copper Mountain is one that comes to mind, less than 2 hours from Denver). Mountain bikers take their bikes up the lift and ride their bikes down the trails.</p>
<p>In Yosemite NP, you can hike from the valley up to Tuolumne Meadows (two or three days) and take the shuttle back down. </p>
<p>For a shorter climb, hike up Four Mile Trail (which is actually 5 or 6) to Glacier Point and take a shuttle back down.</p>
<p>There are many in Switzerland.</p>
<p>I’m sure there are tons of these. Any type of ski resorts should fit what you are looking for, if it is running the lifts / gondolas in the summer.</p>
<p>A lot of ski resorts run their lifts in the summer for the benefit of mountain bikers. </p>
<p>Have you tried hiking with poles? I find they make descents much more comfortable.</p>
<p>Mt Haleakala, Maui - Hike up, Bike down (Although most bus up, bike down) </p>
<p>[Haleakala</a> Bike Co. Downhill Maui Bike Tours & Rentals Maui, Hawaii](<a href=“http://www.bikemaui.com/]Haleakala”>http://www.bikemaui.com/)</p>
<p>Second for Mt Washington. If you want a bit more that up a single mountain, you can utilize the AMC shuttle around the entire White Mountain area. I would recommend spending night #1 at Highland Center, as Crawford Path trail head to the Mizpah hut is across the street. (Cool thing about staying at Highland Center is you can borrow gear FREE from the LL Bean pack room in the basement; everything from hiking boots, fleeces, rain gear to packs). Mizpah to the Lakes of the Clouds hut is a challenging hike. The next day, hike the mile to the Mt Washington summit and take the hiker van down the mountain and catch the shuttle back to Highland Center. (or you can be cheap & try to bum a ride with people driving down the Auto Road - I did that one year, it wasn’t too hard to find a friendly person with a seat). </p>
<p>Lots of other places to stay in the Whites and utilize the hikers shuttle:</p>
<p>[Hiker</a> Shuttle schedule - Appalachian Mountain Club Lodging](<a href=“http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/lodging-shuttle.cfm]Hiker”>http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/lodging-shuttle.cfm)</p>