Best Route to Sugarbush from 89 N?

[dlague]

I've done Roxbury Gap several times mid winter. They actually do a good job plowing it but the top section is a dirt road. If you have good tires - climbing to the top isn't really too bad. On the way down the trick is to use your transmission - switch into drive2 or drive3 and let the transmission keep your speed down. It is windy, so if you're hitting the brakes a lot you run the risk of sliding/losing control if it's slick/snowy.

I've done it at night in a snow storm and made it OK. But I was also driving a Tacoma w/ 4WD and 400 lbs of sand in the back. But if you gave me a car with a decent set of tires on it - I'd go that way. One of my snowy rides thru there a couple of years ago I ended up following a guy driving a tractor trailer thru there. He made it OK. I was pretty impressed with that piece of driving.

If you get behind someone who is struggling with driving it, you can get slowed down. But usually I can find a spot somewhere along the road where it's straight enough that I can get by them.

When I drove that three or four years ago it was raining at lower elevations but freezing rain at higher elevations. When I crested over the top the road looked like glass. Shifted into lowest gear, ABS was going crazy and traction control was engaging and I had 4WD. I actually put one side of the trucks tires into the snow bank to get better traction. There were cars off the road and side ways once we got lower the sand truck passed us going up. It was definitely a white knuckle drive.

 

[shadyjay]

My route is Exit 3 to 107W to Blackmer Blvd to 100N. Most direct without any backtracking like Exit 9. It's not even hilly at all. 107 is a pretty well maintained route. 100's only hills is going through Granville Gulf. In good weather, it's 50-60mph on most of it, except going through the towns (Bethel, Rochester, Hancock, Granville).

 

[mrvpilgrim]

I have been commuting into the valley from south of Boston 20-25 weekends a year for the last 6 years.
Have tried all of the above. I have found the overall time difference to be negligible regardless of the route . For me it comes down to weather and time of day.
In bad weather it is exit 9 to 100b. I avoid Roxbury Gap at all cost during mud season and inclement weather. During dry winter conditions it is a nice diversion from 3 1/2 hours of highway up from Boston plus it is a great view as you drop into the valley . If leaving during daylight back to Boston I often Travel South to either Bethel Gap or 107. to break up the highway Driving

 

[jaybird]

My route is Exit 3 to 107W to Blackmer Blvd to 100N. Most direct without any backtracking like Exit 9. It's not even hilly at all. 107 is a pretty well maintained route. 100's only hills is going through Granville Gulf. In good weather, it's 50-60mph on most of it, except going through the towns (Bethel, Rochester, Hancock, Granville).

Staties just love ticketing along 107 out of Bethel ... most awesome stretch of secondary rd in VT ... post Irene
Roxbury Gap Rd is overrated. Back when it used to snow ;-), Roxbury would post a plowtruck/operator overnite at the top and let him plow downhill then retrace steps to other side. They abandoned that strategy years ago.

Differences in any of the options become moot when logging trucks are involved ;-)