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

[Goose]

That happened to us at Blue Mtn. A 2 hr drive up to ski during a nice fresh snow event (couple of inches in the Lehigh Valley) turned into a 6 hr drive home in a Philly ice storm.

All for a couple inches at Blu?
6 (six) hrs?
I MEAN JUST WOW!
id rather have toothpicks stuck in my eyes.

 

[Tony]

I would sooner do the 2:45 to Mammoth than the 2:00 to Kirkwood, one because it's Mammoth and second now, because it's Vail.

Google maps says you are over-estimating the time to Kirkwood and under-estimating the time to Mammoth. They say 1 hr 36 minutes from your area to Kirkwood. And Google maps says 3 hrs 8 minutes from your area (using Mammoth Scenic Loop to save a few miles and minutes vs. going into town) to Mammoth. So according to Google Maps it's 96 minutes vs. 188 minutes, not 120 vs. 165.

And while Vail has not done anything to upgrade lifts at Kirkwood, and I'm not even sure how much credit they should get for connecting the valley to the grid, they are usually able to have open more of their mountain during storms (or quickly after assuming you and lift staff are there or can get there) than Mammoth where top usually closes and often takes until most of the next day or even two days after a storm to re-open. I could go on about other things like Kirkwood now closing in early or mid-April with 20' of snow (and cutting back terrain before that) and no longer allowing overnight stays in parking lots, but it's Vail where they don't even answer the phone (unless you know the exact minute to call).

 

[Philpug]

Google maps says you are over-estimating the time to Kirkwood and under-estimating the time to Mammoth. They say 1 hr 36 minutes from your area to Kirkwood. And Google maps says 3 hrs 8 minutes from your area (using Mammoth Scenic Loop to save a few miles and minutes vs. going into town) to Mammoth. So according to Google Maps it's 96 minutes vs. 188 minutes, not 120 vs. 165.

I might be over estimating the time to Kirkwood but Mammoth is to the minute ... at least the last 3 times down. Either way, I choose Mammoth every time.

 

[François Pugh]

Google maps says you are over-estimating the time to Kirkwood and under-estimating the time to Mammoth. They say 1 hr 36 minutes from your area to Kirkwood. And Google maps says 3 hrs 8 minutes from your area (using Mammoth Scenic Loop to save a few miles and minutes vs. going into town) to Mammoth. So according to Google Maps it's 96 minutes vs. 188 minutes, not 120 vs. 165.

And while Vail has not done anything to upgrade lifts at Kirkwood, and I'm not even sure how much credit they should get for connecting the valley to the grid, they are usually able to have open more of their mountain during storms (or quickly after assuming you and lift staff are there or can get there) than Mammoth where top usually closes and often takes until most of the next day or even two days after a storm to re-open. I could go on about other things like Kirkwood now closing in early or mid-April with 20' of snow (and cutting back terrain before that) and no longer allowing overnight stays in parking lots, but it's Vail where they don't even answer the phone (unless you know the exact minute to call).

I have noticed that Google maps used to always over estimate travel time, but now underestimates it, even if I drive 15% above the speed limit. Maybe not keeping track of all the extra traffic lights?

 

[Ogg]

I have noticed that Google maps used to always over estimate travel time, but now underestimates it, even if I drive 15% above the speed limit. Maybe not keeping track of all the extra traffic lights?

It depends on how much data they have. I find around here, with millions of people using google, the drive times are pretty much spot on.

 

[teejaywhy]

I have noticed that Google maps used to always over estimate travel time, but now underestimates it, even if I drive 15% above the speed limit. Maybe not keeping track of all the extra traffic lights?

Google does not seem to take into consideration how many times I have to stop to pee.

 

[Marker]

All for a couple inches at Blu?
6 (six) hrs?
I MEAN JUST WOW!
id rather have toothpicks stuck in my eyes.

Sorry, what I mean is our drive up was 2 hr, we skied some nice fresh snow, a few inches, then took 6 hr to get home. I'm not crazy!

I should have known better. I was on a lift with a fellow that told me Philly was getting pounded, but I thought it couldn't be that bad in mid-December. I didn't tell my wife because I was having too much fun with the fresh snow, a rarity in my Pocono skiing, and I haven't told her to this day...

 

[garylk]

I've been doing the 2-2.5 hour drive from NYC to Hunter/Windham since junior year of college - over 40 years. Even with someone to share the driving, I can't imagine spending much more time in the car for 5 or 6 hours of skiing. It's already a very long day.

Though I enjoy the drive, it takes a toll; there's a noticeable difference in my skiing after spending 2+ hours in the car versus waking up at/near the mountain and in recent years I've had to become more conscious about "leaving something in the tank" for the drive home.

 

[Captain Furious]

My max is 2.5 hours each way. That's only if I'm going to Sugarloaf or Saddleback. I usually don't go much further than Sunday River or out in NH, to Wildcat. My son and I have had season passes for the past 8 years to Shawnee Peak as he races out of there. He is now 16 and informed me that he doesn't want to race after this year, so it looks like we might need to find a new mountain for season passes. I'm thinking it will likely be Wildcat b/c we love the terrain. That's about 1:40hr away each way.

 

[DbSki]

3 hrs each way to my local, I rarely stay overnight, mostly mid week day trips.
Another resort a bit farther out I do about 3 hrs for most of it then get a cheap bus the rest of the way saving the drive up the Mountain and back down which is more mentally draining than the 3 hrs mostly on a freeway getting there.

 

[Tahoma]

For a day trip, usually ~2 hours, which is how far Crystal is from home with good traffic. But that also means hitting the road by 6-6:30 AM to score decent parking. In theory, White Pass is do-able, but realistically is a long weekend for our family. Given that a fair number of my solo days are when I'm coming off of night call, I don't push it as much anymore. I just don't bounce back as quickly as I did, and I don't want to end up as a traffic accident statistic.

 

[Jilly]

Got to be able to ski longer than I drive....both ways.

 

[FlyingAce]

Two hours is maximum drive time for a day trip. I am in ABQ, NM and Ski Santa Fe is 77 miles/1.5hrs away. My husband and I usually ski no longer than 4 hrs so anything farther will not be worth it. We now ski Taos which is about 3hrs away but I stay there for the season and don’t think it is doable as a day trip.

 

[David]

3 hours each way but I usually spend the night unless the skiing is bad enough to not want to ski it the next day.

 

[Snowfan]

For me in the Texas panhandle no day trips. Angel Fire is 4 hrs, Taos 5. Breck 6.5, Steamboat 9, Jackson 13, Big Sky 17. Totally fine with me...I like road trips.

 

[Tex]

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.

That is about right, I'm the same. It is the drive back that is the dangerous part, drving 2 hours there, then full day of activity, then driving 2 hours home just dangerous dosing off on the ride home...

 

[crgildart]

That is about right, I'm the same. It is the drive back that is the dangerous part, drving 2 hours there, then full day of activity, then driving 2 hours home just dangerous dosing off on the ride home...

You have to tweak the definition of "ski day" as you age. Before age 30 I could totally drive 6 hours plus leaving at 2am, ski 9-sunset and drive home. Enter the 40s and I'm living 3 hours away from the closest places.. Drive 3 ski 5-6, then drive 3 home. Now in the 50s it's drive 3, ski 3-4, then drive 3... closer to 3 if I'm working the next morning. Could I ski longer? probably but if there is unforeseen trouble, bad weather, a wreck, brutal construction delay, etc.. I'd regret the decision to ski longer bigtime

 

[Couchmaster]

I've learned that the 2 hour drive is easy, and that's about max these days, but I take a nap before I tackle it. The dog, of course, would prefer to go hunt in the woods, but she knows not to lick me in the face so that when I wake up rested and rare'n to go (abiet with quads and other soft body parts burning and sore): she and I can go do some exploring before the 2 hour drive home. Whereupon once we get back to the car she sleeps all the way home and I drive.

I'm learning to love the naps (pulled off the road onto another road and breathing fresh air) as much as I love the skiing. I've been a long time climber, and saw too many folks die in traffic accidents while trying to fight off the sleep on the way home from climbing to not slow down and examine that statistic. It can be easily mitigated with a short nap. When I was 20 years old, we often did 20 hour road trips to go climb. I never had an issue staying awake: ever. In fact, I have done multiple 3 days straight and awake for all of it day and night day and night day and night while in the military. But those days are long in the rear view mirror. Why push it? If I get tired, I pull over and sleep.

 

[Goose]

I've learned that the 2 hour drive is easy, and that's about max these days, but I take a nap before I tackle it. The dog, of course, would prefer to go hunt in the woods, but she knows not to lick me in the face so that when I wake up rested and rare'n to go (abiet with quads and other soft body parts burning and sore): she and I can go do some exploring before the 2 hour drive home. Whereupon once we get back to the car she sleeps all the way home and I drive.

I'm learning to love the naps (pulled off the road onto another road and breathing fresh air) as much as I love the skiing. I've been a long time climber, and saw too many folks die in traffic accidents while trying to fight off the sleep on the way home from climbing to not slow down and examine that statistic. It can be easily mitigated with a short nap. When I was 20 years old, we often did 20 hour road trips to go climb. I never had an issue staying awake: ever. In fact, I have done multiple 3 days straight and awake for all of it day and night day and night day and night while in the military. But those days are long in the rear view mirror. Why push it? If I get tired, I pull over and sleep.

The worst part and is something I think most of us are guilty of is the ..."I got this" mindset while in the midst of actually being half eyed. We shake our head, we open window, we shrug the shoulders, whatever the case. We convince ourselves "we got this" and usually we do and like everything or anything else we flirt with its always ok......right up till the second it isnt. And then you just hope we get lucky.

Falling asleep at the wheel or even just daydreaming half eyed is just too darn easy especially as we age. I dont get so brave anymore. Much more willing to put the "I got this" ego aside nowadays. Especially if with my son I am quick to hand the car over to him once my eyes start getting heavy.

Here is the funny part and it almost always happens.
Almost always when I hand the driving over to him I somehow in the process of pulling over to switch I completely awaken and then cant fall asleep cause I worry about him driving and i end up watching him most the rest of the way.

I guess its just a parent thing regardless how old he is (24). That said If I were to again swicth Id have trouble staying awake LOL just is what it is.
Though at some point if long drive enough I will eventually doze off some.

 

[Shawn]

About 3 hrs for me. From Scranton, that usually means Windham. It's worth it a few times a season.