Who's taken a lonnng road trip alone?

[pais alto]

Long solo trips? When I lived in Fairbanks AK I drove the Alcan solo a number of times to and/or from the lower 48. The most memorable trips:
- One February when I drove a rental UHaul van loaded with furniture and goods on packed snow most all the way. I was kind of terrified the whole time, though I had managed to find one with a block heater so it would at least start.
- One winter when I drove to Cabo San Lucas and back. Surfed and skied along the way. That was a good trip, getting together with friends along the way.

 

[focker]

Looks like that drive will be about 1200-1400 miles. I'd break that up into 2 ~650 mile days. That should be about 10 hours per day.

It is were me, and I was driving 20 hours total, I'd want a good nights sleep in a hotel. It's well worth the $120 each way, and you get breakfast and coffee the next morning. I've slept in my SUV a few times, and always found I slept like crap and woke up feeling tired and out of it the next morning. That's not a good feeling when you're facing 10+ hours of driving through boring and wintery conditions.

Des Moines and Omaha look to be the best places for you to crash for the night...

 

[KingGrump]

With Goggle map, hotel apps, GPS and long range weather forecast on the net, the entire trip can be planed and hotel(s) booked well in advance.

We do that on our road trip every year. Everything planned and booked couple weeks in advance. We do move the schedule a bit for snow storms.

Yeah, try real hard not to drive through winter storms. Even wit AWD/4WD and full on snow tires. No Bueno.

 

[Lorenzzo]

I once did a trip to LA and back to PC. It was winter but no worries the forecast was as high-pressure and clear as it gets. I rented a car with All Weathers in case I wanted to fly back. But it broke down in LA. No winterized cars in LA so regular summer tires on the replacement. No worries clear forecast.

But when I got to St. George it started snowing. It was snowing over the next 200 miles, there were trucks and cars sliding off the road. Had to spend two days in a flophouse in Cedar City until the roads were clear. Here’s hoping no one here gets forced into spending two days in Cedar City

Winter drives… Be ready for anything.

 

[KingGrump]

We always carried sleep bags, water, lots of ready calorie food and a small camping stove in the car. Just in case.

Be prepared. Sh** happens.

 

[In2h2o]

Or if you're an advanced skier, Mt. Bohemia in the UP has built up a pretty stellar reputation and is still a hefty road trip for you.

Thats a really good alternative, the only question would be securing lodging ........

 

[Dwight]

Or if you're an advanced skier, Mt. Bohemia in the UP has built up a pretty stellar reputation and is still a hefty road trip for you.

But won't be open during that time, most likely.

 

[wooglin]

Just remembered one trip from CO to NH, home from college. Spent the night on I-80 in a ditch outside Grand Island, NE. That was June 2, 1980. The next night Grand Island was leveled by tornadoes. Definitely dodged a bullet. Lot easier to check the weather these days at least.

1980 Grand Island tornado outbreak - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[4ster]

Yeah, try real hard not to drive through winter storms. Even wit AWD/4WD and full on snow tires. No Bueno.

During my 2000 road trip I was traveling in my trusty Subaru Legacy wagon. Good all season tires but not dedicated winter snow tires. I got caught in plenty of big storms along the way. One was at night going over Teton Pass to Jackson in about a foot of untracked snow. Not sure if I missed the closed sign or it closed right behind me but it was closed when I arrived on the other side of the pass.
Another was a pass after leaving Steamboat for Silverthorne, toward the top I came upon two or three jackknifed big rigs blocking the road that I managed to wind my way through without missing a beat. I turned the radio to the weather & road conditions channel as I was heading down the other side again to hear the road was closed, I must have just squeezed through.
I remember experiencing my first real black ice on the way from Sun Valley to Driggs Idaho. Cruising around 70mph along a two-lane country Highway I spied a family of labs climbing up a ditch onto the road. I touched my brakes and didn’t slow down. Thankfully missed the dogs but I don’t think I went over 40 mph the rest of the way.
Driving at night east from Wendover to Salt Lake City I experienced my first thunder snow, that was pretty exciting too.
All part of the adventure!

 

[focker]

A good rule in the winter is just to drive during daylight hours. Your chances of getting quickly pulled out of the ditch are much, much higher doing so. That still gives you nearly 10 hours a day of driving time. IMO driving any more than 12 hours in a day solo is just not a good idea...

 

[tch]

I took a long solo trip in 2018 after I retired. Started in NW Connecticut, made the circuit and drove back. Drove a VW Alltrack with snows and a ski box on top. I had the rear seats down so I could lay out a winter sleeping bag on an ensolite pad with my luggage piled around me and slept occasionally in the back -- usually at formal rest stops or truck stops. I just pulled out of the way but in a lit area and locked the doors. No issues ever with that, and was lucky with the driving weather -- never faced a real storm while on the road.

I stayed with friends, in motels, or Airbnb's close to ski areas. Did Steamboat, Aspen/Snowmass, Sun Valley, Grand Targhee, Jackson, then all the Utah areas: Powder, Snowbasin, Park City, Deer Valley, Alta, Snowbird, Solitude, and Brighton. I had a great time and met some people but also skied single a lot. Important note: I like driving, am a true introvert, and don't mind spending a lot of time by myself.

I listened to a couple of books, but also spent a lot of time just admiring the scenery and trying to get the feel of every community.

 

[Gary Stolt]

I usually drive for my ski trips. And because I drive, I try to make each trip a 2 week trip. I have had some bad luck when flying - like lost skis, lost luggage, several cancelled flights, etc. In addition, it was not unusual to come down with a cold or flu soon after flying. And renting cars is not a favorite thing to do either. I'm retired so it is easy to drive and control my schedule, take an extra pair of skis, pick up people from the airport etc.

 

[MountainMonster]

I'v been solo car camping for over a decade in a small hatchback all winter & spring, not long trips, 350mi each way. I do weekly/bi-weekly 4-5 day trips usually, Sun- Thurs, . Car camping is a breeze if prepared. Only downfall is the 2am pee call & the occasional bear at your window.

 

[Mothertucker]

I'v been solo car camping for over a decade in a small hatchback all winter & spring, not long trips, 350mi each way. I do weekly/bi-weekly 4-5 day trips usually, Sun- Thurs, . Car camping is a breeze if prepared. Only downfall is the 2am pee call & the occasional bear at your window.

You sure it was a bear? Might have been Railroad Dave.

 

[no edge]

Troy, NY to Aspen. Mazda Rotary pick-up with really good snows. My brother, brother-in-law and me. It was 1974. I slept in the back with an insulated cap. It was cold but my sleeping bag was a good one. I was 22 or so. We spent the night in the bars to stay warm. Ski boots were frozen. There was a solid dump of at least a foot and I had a blast. The other two had altitude sickness.

When we went to Salt Lake City we stayed at a friends dorm. At Steamboat I stayed in the truck. The snow was great but I much preferred the terrain at Aspen.

The trip out and back was non-stop and fast. Snow storms on the plains are very dangerous at 85 in a pick-up. We got stopped one time in Colorado. I didn't think we were going that fast. The trooper took us to the next stop and made me put the fine in an envelope and mail it to the judge. What are ya gonna do?

I've been cross-country many times. Longest was Halifax, NS to Vancouver and skiing at Whistler...1980. And again in 1981 to Nanaimo,
BC. There is something nice about being on the road.

 

[crosscountry]

So I'm thinking about driving alone from Michigan to Colorado between Christmas and the New Year. One of my daughters was on board until I told her that I didn't want to pay for flights, a rental car, skis, etc. Now I may just go by myself. I have an SUV that I can sleep in for a couple nights when going back and forth, and then find a place somewhere in the Loveland/A Basin/Keystone area and enjoy three days of bliss.

Has anyone taken this kind of trip solo? Any SkiTalkers planning to be in that area at the same time?

Jay

Let's see...

Yes's:

Driving from Michigan to Colorado? Piece of cake! I've done east coast to Whistler once, to California and Utah twice each, Colorado multiple times I lost count. These were recent, past 10-15 years. In my younger days, had done Midwest to Florida a couple times too.

Solo? I've done all of those solo.

I love the scenery. I love the solitude. Listening to music, or just lost in my own thoughts.

No's:

Sleeping in the car while going and back? Nope! It's pretty tiring SITTING in the car for 8 hrs or more. Sleeping in the car without showers on top of that is not what I'd call fun. Won't do it unless I'm forced to for unforeseen reasons. That said, I can swallow it for one single night occasionally. But no way I'd do consecutive nights.

(In the summer, I alternate camping and motels. In winter, always in motels, though I keep my camping sleeping bag/pad in the car just in case)

Sleeping in the car after skiing? Only once. But that's after I checked out of the condo in the morning. Skied all day and went back to get my car from the garage. Noticed the garage has access to the condo's shower and hot tub! Again, I won't do it without a hot shower. It's just not what I consider fun. Moreover, it was 30 degrees, not 10 degrees. I'm not going to even think about sleeping in the car when it's 10 degrees.

Driving 4 days to ski 3 days? No. Just no.

 

[Turoa Kiwi]

Loving all these stories about the huge distances you've driven so as to ski somewhere.
Especially as if I head north from Wellington NZ, the farthest resort, Whakapapa, is only 352 kms away
If I head south to the farthest ski resort, its a 3.5 hr ferry trip across Cook Strait to the South Island ,then only 840km to The Remarkables.
I did this southern trip three separate times this past season and skied at ten different places all up

 

[Philpug]

I did Killington for a day trip from Philly once, does that count? Note: Once.

 

[Posaune]

My long solo road trip was not for skiing, but to make a pilgrimage to New Orleans from up here in B'ham, about 2700 miles one way in my trusty Ford Focus. I put my ski box on top to hold extra gear. While I was in Louisiana, not in N.O., an older guy came up to me and asked about my Thule box. He asked, "Is that there a kayak?" Ever since my box has been "the kayak."

 

[Quandary]

I do Wisconsin to Colorado many times a year straight through by myself. Its really not that tough. I fact I just went Milwaukee area to Denver today. 14.5 hours drive time 15.25 total time.