crazy commute to the slopes stories

[ScottySkis]

So living in the Bronx, I used to take the train subway from were I lived at 130 am to make sure I got to 72 street by 400am so I could catch the bus on the east side of NYC and go to south Vermont. People in the Bronx riding the subway seeing me with ski stuff, well let's just say it is Lucky I'm still living. And it would be way hot in the train, but I'm very glad I did it when I was younger.

 

[Cheese]

I grew up on the back side of Gunstock Ski area. Although I don't have good memories of getting there, I do remember some great back country trips home. 30 years ago it was a series of blueberry fields which were great for linking powder turns but now I suspect the evergreens have taken over and left it too difficult to negotiate. If anyone wants to try it all they need to do is hang a left off of Flintlock and have a ride waiting on Belknap Mountain Road in Gilford.

 

[steamboat1]

I've had plenty of crazy/scary commutes to & from ski areas, mostly during snow storms. It once took us 29hrs. to get back to NYC from Bromley. We were snowed in in the car overnight on the Taconic Pkwy. There were a whole bunch of cars stuck in the same area, funny thing was about 2am everyone started honking there horn thinking that would accomplish something. In the morning a plow cleared the north bound lane & then crossed over clearing a path behind the group of 20 or so stuck cars. The police got us off the road by allowing the cars to back up one at a time to a place were the plow had cleared so we could cross over to the north bound lane & drive south to get off the road. We made our way down to just outside the city but couldn't get into the city. All the bridges were closed because of the snow storm. I think they finally opened the Grand Concourse in the Bronx & were able to get into the city that way. We got to about a 1/2 block from my house before we couldn't go any further. My neighbors were outside & helped us carry the luggage to my house. At that point we had been awake about 40 hrs after skiing all day & then getting involved with the drive. We went to sleep & worried about the car in the morning.

 

[andrec10]

I've had plenty of crazy/scary commutes to & from ski areas, mostly during snow storms. It once took us 29hrs. to get back to NYC from Bromley. We were snowed in in the car overnight on the Taconic Pkwy. There were a whole bunch of cars stuck in the same area, funny thing was about 2am everyone started honking there horn thinking that would accomplish something. In the morning a plow cleared the north bound lane & then crossed over clearing a path behind the group of 20 or so stuck cars. The police got us off the road by allowing the cars to back up one at a time to a place were the plow had cleared so we could cross over to the north bound lane & drive south to get off the road. We made our way down to just outside the city but couldn't get into the city. All the bridges were closed because of the snow storm. I think they finally opened the Grand Concourse in the Bronx & were able to get into the city that way. We got to about a 1/2 block from my house before we couldn't go any further. My neighbors were outside & helped us carry the luggage to my house. At that point we had been awake about 40 hrs after skiing all day & then getting involved with the drive. We went to sleep & worried about the car in the morning.

Is this the post xmas blizzard from 2010. We drove home from Berkshire east after a race and you had to follow the tracks and prayed they were in the right place. Almost could not find my exit to get off, but at least we had AWD with snows!

 

[steamboat1]

Is this the post xmas blizzard from 2010. We drove home from Berkshire east after a race and you had to follow the tracks and prayed they were in the right place. Almost could not find my exit to get off, but at least we had AWD with snows!

A lot longer ago than 2010. It was the 1st time they had to close the NY State Thruway, whenever that was. I'd say close to 40 years ago. I don't think front wheel drive cars were even invented yet. I've got plenty of stories but this trip was the creme de la creme.

 

[skiNEwhere]

This was in the late 90's or early 2000. My parents were driving to Mount Snow on a Friday night from Boston, well we were on either Route 2 or Route 112 on the MA/VT border, and we turn a corner on an incline and see dozens of cars that have come to a dead stop. I walked to the top of the hill and I saw a couple of cars trying to go down the decline on the other side, and no matter how slow they were going they would start sliding sideways and crash into the 5 or 6 cars that were already at the bottom. I guess they didn't pick up the hint that there was really bad black ice. Apparently this is a big problem a lot of times for drivers heading to Mount Snow from MA.

 

[mriceyman]

On my way home from quebec city, driving in Adirondacks with 8" on the roads i watch some boneheads in a minivan pass me in my f250 then proceed to slide out and do.3 flips into the median. I stopped to see if they were aliva and amazingly these 3 kids did not have a scratch on them. we had to run through 3'+ in the median which i wasnt expecting.

 

[Glenn]

This was in the late 90's or early 2000. My parents were driving to Mount Snow on a Friday night from Boston, well we were on either Route 2 or Route 112 on the MA/VT border, and we turn a corner on an incline and see dozens of cars that have come to a dead stop. I walked to the top of the hill and I saw a couple of cars trying to go down the decline on the other side, and no matter how slow they were going they would start sliding sideways and crash into the 5 or 6 cars that were already at the bottom. I guess they didn't pick up the hint that there was really bad black ice. Apparently this is a big problem a lot of times for drivers heading to Mount Snow from MA.

That hill into Colrain is steep! I remember seeing FWD cars get stuck trying to go up...in just a few inches of snow.

Thankfully, our ride to the mountain is usually fairly quiet...worse case, you get stuck behind a slowpoke. The ride from CT to VT on Friday...that can be "exciting" even in good weather.

 

[Cannonball]

I think Scotty's takes it. The others are crazy, but are the result of unexpected conditions and could happen to anyone. I can't imagine planning to the take the subway and buses all night to get there!

In 95-ish I hitchhiked from Sante Fe to Taos to ski for the day. Got there no problem, though it took about 4 hours. But getting home was the problem. I talked to some guys on the lift during the day and worked out a deal to pay for gas if they drove me back. Good plan but they blew me off and at the end of the day I had no ride. I had a flight out of Albuquerque early the next morning so had to get back. Finally hitched a late ride from a mountain employee but only made it as far as the town of Taos. At about 7pm a woman picked me up and said she couldn't take me far but would bring me to a better spot to catch a ride. She ended up dropping me off in the middle of F-ing nowhere on the highway. I stood out there in the dark with cars wizzing by for about an hour before walking 2 miles back into Taos. I went into a bar, got a beer, and started asking around. I was offering to pay good $$ for a ride back. But there were only a handfull of barflies in there, none who were interested and all too drunk anyway. Left there and went to a pay phone (no cell phones then). By now it was after 9pm. I tried calling cabs but the only company that even answered said their only car was out for the night. I even called a tow truck company but that was just absurdly expensive. The pay phone was near the post office and I noticed that people would occasionally go into the lobby area where the PO boxes were. So I went over there hoping I could talk someone into giving me a ride for $$. After a few people said 'no' finally this guy said 'ok'. He had just got off work and wanted to go home first for dinner. By now it was getting close to 11pm. We ended up going to his house, having dinner and beer then hit the road. He drove me all the way back to my hotel with good conversation for something like $60. I crashed as soon as I was back to the hotel, he had to drive all the way back. I always remember how cool that guy was when a stranger is asking for something.

 

[Puck it]

I drive a FJ so I have no stories. Just throw her into 4X4 when needed and she goes. I have had it in 3-4 feet of snow and did not phase it.

 

[MadMadWorld]

So living in the Bronx, I used to take the train subway from were I lived at 130 am to make sure I got to 72 street by 400am so I could catch the bus on the east side of NYC and go to south Vermont. People in the Bronx riding the subway seeing me with ski stuff, well let's just say it is Lucky I'm still living. And it would be way hot in the train, but I'm very glad I did it when I was younger.

Good story....too many ethnic jokes I could make but I will leave it alone. They must of thought you were one honky cracka!

 

[Nick]

So living in the Bronx, I used to take the train subway from were I lived at 130 am to make sure I got to 72 street by 400am so I could catch the bus on the east side of NYC and go to south Vermont. People in the Bronx riding the subway seeing me with ski stuff, well let's just say it is Lucky I'm still living. And it would be way hot in the train, but I'm very glad I did it when I was younger.

Good on you Scotty. That's dedication and you've got the fire in your heart.... the subway at 1AM with ski gear? Serious!

 

[Nick]

My most aggravating trip was in college. I was a junior and living in Taunton. We were having a massive storm and I was determined to get the powder. I can't recall the year, 2001 or 2002. Anyways; I left my apartment in the morning and it took almost eight hours to get to Mount Snow, the highways were so bad. When I finally got there, all lifts were on wind hold from the storm. I ended up driving home without skiing at all that day. :/ frustration

I don't think anything else around was open either, i called everywhere. I don't even remember ... must have been a big storm ... everyone thought I was nuts for driving in it. Was on my old VW golf.

 

[Cheese]

My most aggravating trip was in college. I was a junior and living in Taunton. We were having a massive storm and I was determined to get the powder. I can't recall the year, 2001 or 2002. Anyways; I left my apartment in the morning and it took almost eight hours to get to Mount Snow, the highways were so bad. When I finally got there, all lifts were on wind hold from the storm. I ended up driving home without skiing at all that day. :/ frustration

I don't think anything else around was open either, i called everywhere. I don't even remember ... must have been a big storm ... everyone thought I was nuts for driving in it. Was on my old VW golf.

I'm pretty sure I was at Jay Peak that day. We woke up in town and were pumped that we had been dumped on. Drove the couple miles to Jay and found it on wind hold. Since a wind hold at Jay wasn't surprising we headed home (NH) calling all the mountains along the route and couldn't find anything open for skiing other than a couple resorts which were advertising lower surface lifts. Grrrr!

 

[SnowRock]

Hmmm I have a story from that time frame, maybe the same storm? Was 00 into 01 and I was home for winter break from school. Buddy invited a bunch of us to his family's place in sugarbush, last minute thing towards the end of break. I shot up with a friend or two. Got in some great riding, we were going to leave on a Thursday because people were going back to school that weekend and had to get ready, long drives etc. Weather forecast was for snow and lots of it.. we decide to stay Thursday ski Friday and leave Friday afternoon/early evening.

Well we did manage to get in some fun Friday before dealing with wind holds but it didn't stop snowing. Was still snowing Saturday and after waiting it out most of the day (a bad call) we made a break for it (a terrible call).

Access road was bad with cars sliding out everywhere down the hill... we stopped to help one or two and got separated form the other car in our group. 100 was bad... so much snow you could barley determine if you were staying on the road. I am making a super slow go but managing in my old Cherokee it starts to get dark and I'm dealing with the whole mystify screen saver effect, stopping for breaks.

Last couple miles of 100 before 4 we got stuck in traffic. Then 4 was a disaster.. cars and trucks struggling to make it up the hill. Finally got to Rutland probably 6 hours (maybe more) after leaving sugarbush and stayed the night.

 

[ScottySkis]

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2

The subway at 1 in the morning people on crack especially in south Bronx, but gave me motivation to get out of the Bronx.

 

[ScottySkis]

One time we were going to Hunter on the bus and since I took the subway at crazy hours I really wanted to go plus it was after a north easter. The thruway I 87 was closed in from orange County, but the bus tour guy also really wanted to go, I said I use to take the Pallasidies Parkway but I don't think buses can go on it. He had the bus driver take it, we had to go real slow under the over passes and almost got stuck a few times but we made most of the people on the bus were sleeping so they didn't know. It was great times that day.

 

[ScottySkis]

Another bus trip. Going home from Mount Snow, the bus driver was not planned for this bus trip so I get us their in the morning ( I have nothing to do with the ski shop but I know how to get to Vermont hills.) When I believe route 7 in NY which becomes rte. 9 in Vermont is a little trick but I told him to keep the correct way. I like everyone else fell a sleep to wake up to passing signs for Jiminy Peak 3 hours have passed since we left Mount Snow, so I tell the driver and confirm with my phone on a map that we should take I 90 to I 87, were doing that but he has his GPS set for NYC but not for buses so it starts telling him to take the way to the Taconic Parkway but I tell him it a bus and he can't go that way. We got all the way to the Parkway into he realized I was correct and we had to back track to I 90 should had been in NYc around 830, I think it wad around 1 am . Still great time but so happy I have a car now.

 

[Hawkshot99]

Back when I was in high school ski club we would take coach buses from the Hudson Valley, up to VT.

We had many problems in the 7 years of Ski Club.
1st problem- We were supposed to leave school at 6am. The driver of the bus got a bit to sauced up the night before and never showed up. The company who was based about 45mins away finally got us a replacement bus/driver there by 8am.
2nd problem- After a nice fun day up in VT we were coming down I-87 when the engine on the bus started blowing lots of black smoke. It died a few hundred yards short of the rest stop. After walking up the side of the highway to the rest stop, pretty much every kid realized that there $ was in their bags under the bus. So 2 hours at the rest stop with no food or drinks.:smash:
3rd problem- Coming back from Mt. Snow one night it was snowing very heavy. One of the buses got out of the lot much quicker than the rest so they pulled over on the side of 100 to wait for the others. Unfortunately he chose to stop in the deep snow on the shoulder going UP a hill. When the other 3 buses came along they thought there was a problem so they stopped behind him. Now there are 3 buses stuck on the side of the road in the heavy snow. The drivers just kept hammering the throttles trying to get traction. We could smell the smoking tire rubber inside of the bus. Finally they were able to come get some plows to clear the route and get them unstuck.

All of my ski trip problems are on buses. Never had any problems in my own vehicles.

 

[Smellytele]

Back when I was in high school ski club we would take coach buses from the Hudson Valley, up to VT.

We had many problems in the 7 years of Ski Club.

You were in High School for 7 years?