How many hrs drive to ski will you still consider it a day trip?

[Goose]

This is not covid related subject question but speaking in general prior to and after covid of course

This has been talked about in the past but things change and Everyones life is so very different from each others for a zillion different reasons. Most folks do not live local to skiing. And requires at least some significant driving,

So just as the title asks....how far is ok before it needs to turn into an overnighter? The answer we give may often be one that changed along with our lives from what we use to consider too far for a day trip to what we do now.

For me and my fam I do not want to drive more than 2hrs (4round) . I will stretch it to 2-1/2(5round) but certainly not to my liking. Thats my borderline between single day trip vs stayover for 2 days skiing and at least one night accommodation, Unfortunately the 2hr drive can turn into 2-1/2 due to traffic but what can ya do? In fact thats part of the reason I really dont want anymore than 2 because when the 2-1/2 hr drive becomes 3 or more (5to6 round) its like death for a single day trip.

Ther are some variables of course like weekend vs weekday vs conditions vs anticipated traffic and time of year, and life obs at the moment too. So nothing ever written in stone 100% and my feelings at the time can change a bit but in general If its gonna be a known fact for over 2.5 or more hrs one way Im likely staying over or not going. 2.5 is the sort of max for me.

What about you? whats your drive limit (if you have one) for stayover vs day trip.

 

[tch]

I'm right with you. I've driven as much as "just-3" hours for a day...but not often.
It turns out that I can ski a couple of small/medium-size areas in 1.5 hours one way, give or take, and a couple of bigger destination southern VT areas in 2.5 hours one-way. That gives me some choices and offers a little variety.

Seems like the old recreation rule works for me: no more drive time than activity (ski) time. So, 9-4 with with some warm-up breaks means six hours round-trip is my end point.

 

[François Pugh]

Four hours one way would be max. I have wizened up in my old age, and wish to avoid sleep driving. Skiing bell to bell tires me out after a 4 am early start. I'm blaming my diabetes.

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

2.5 would be my current max also. As you pointed out, that can easily become 3 or more with traffic. When I was in my 20’s, I would drive longer but then, in my 20’s, I could rarely afford hotel rooms.

 

[BC.]

2 hours.....Hunter, Plattekill, Windham are in that range. Leave at 6am....lot by 8...ski till 1-2....home before 5.

Think of it like a work day.....skiing/driving is better than working.

 

[crgildart]

Wake up at 7. Leave at 8. Drive 3 hours, ski three hours, drive 3 hours home. That's a good day for me at this age and condition. If I'm staying there I'll ski several sessions with long breaks. No longer in to missing a lot of sleep for a longer ski day.

 

[Goose]

Four hours one way would be max. I have wizened up in my old age, and wish to avoid sleep driving. Skiing bell to bell tires me out after a 4 am early start. I'm blaming my diabetes.

Thats still impressive and honestly too much for me. I mean 8hrs round? No thanks. Unless that was my only choice to ski. But I would need another driver to share for 100% certain. I might be falling asleep 10 mins out of the parking lot.

 

[Jenny]

We'll drive 2-2.5, ski, then drive home. If we drive 3-3.5 we'll either drive it and ski that day, stay overnight and drive home or drive up and spend the night, then ski and drive the next day.

 

[SpikeDog]

I used to go up to 4 hours one way, but I'm with @tch now. If I drive 8 hours, I want to ski 8 hours too. Since I rarely go bell to bell, that cuts it down to maybe 2.5 hours one way now. That will only get me to Deer Valley on the Jordanelle side now. If I have someone to help me drive, I can do better.

 

[Brad J]

3 1/2 Hrs each way for me , That gets me to MRG, Burke , Sugarloaf from Newbury Ma.

 

[pchewn]

Total drive time must be less than skiing time. That rules out going to Mt Bachelor for me. But every area on Mt Hood is a day trip.

 

[pchewn]

Wake up at 7. Leave at 8. Drive 3 hours, ski three hours, drive 3 hours home. That's a good day for me at this age and condition. If I'm staying there I'll ski several sessions with long breaks. No longer in to missing a lot of sleep for a longer ski day.

That's 6hrs of driving for 3hrs of skiing.... WAY beyond my limit. If I did that I wouldn't call it a ski trip, it would be a long driving trip interrupted by a little skiing.

 

[ksampson3]

3 hours each way IF it's an easy drive. By easy I mean wide open and no traffic. I did this last week from DC to Timberline. Got 19,000 feet of vert, so I was happy with that. I was back in my driveway by 7 pm. Heading there again this week, but getting a hotel for 2 nights this time.

 

[crgildart]

That's 6hrs of driving for 3hrs of skiing.... WAY beyond my limit. If I did that I wouldn't call it a ski trip, it would be a long driving trip interrupted by a little skiing.

At 45 I'd ski 6 hours for 6 hours of driving.. Ten years later and I'm less motivated tp prove anything to myself. I ski until I'm ready for a break then I drive home. If I'm staying there I'll take that break then ski some more.. rinse and repeat. I don't want to be exhausted while driving home 3 hours.

 

[Uncle-A]

When I was younger I could make Hunter in 2.5 hours. I have moved to my senior community one hour south of my previous home and have not tried to drive it all myself. I have driven the hour to meet up with friends and have been a passenger for the 2.5 to Hunter. At end of day I was a passenger on way home than drive the hour to the new place. It wasn't all that bad but I didn't do all the driving.

 

[Norther1]

3 hours one way (6 round trip) is my norm. I might be motivated to do four hours one way if the skiing was going to be vastly better than the 3 hour location.

 

[mdf]

When I was young, I would do day trips from the Boston area to Vermont (~3.5 hours, with the 55 mph speed limit) ski all day, and then drive home.

Then I moved to an outer suburb, so my first mental "now I'm making progress" marker was now near my house. That and the higher speed limits gave me a few more years.

Then I dropped back to driving up the night before, staying over, skiing, and then drivng home.

Now I can only do that if I get an unusually good night's sleep. If I have any trouble getting to sleep early (I'm naturally a night owl, so I usually do have trouble), I have to stay over after skiing and drive home the next morning.

 

[Castle Dave]

Back in the 90's Mt Baker or Whistler two hour maximum with a caveat for border crossing. Not a bad choice either way but now it's 45 minutes max

 

[Ogg]

3 hours for a day trip because that's what it takes. I haven't bothered with a day trip in ~5 years because I realized even with lodging a weekend to ski a better mountain is worth it and it's even more worth, and not really more expensive per day to hop on a flight to ski a real mountain for a week.

 

[Andy Mink]

Reno to Mammoth is a day trip, about 3 hours each way. Not very often, though, because I don't need to. I have discovered the Reno-Big Sky, Reno-SLC/BCC/LCC, or Reno JHMR is a day drive. You do have to spend the night though!