Driving at night from the slopes!!

[andyzee]

A slut, a virgin, and a Starbucks.

 

[MommaBear]

Although I very rarely do day trips,the old "head out the window" trick works well.Yup,open up all the windows and you'll be awake from the cold and your passengers yelling at you.

That's the method my husband uses!! When I see him nodding, I try to persuade him to let me drive before he can reach for that window button!

Peppermint chewing gum for me.

 

[Euler]

I did a 2.5 hr. day trip to Sugarbush today...used Wasabi Peas and podcast of This American Life to keep me alert and amused on the drive home.

 

[HD333]

Strap two 6 year olds in their car seats in the back...you won't be able to fall asleep.

 

[abc]

I usually pull off somewhere (rest area, gas station parking lot, wherever I can safely park) and just recline the seat and take a nap. 15, 20 minutes seems to work wonders for me.

Second. (I mean, third) :smile:

No coffee, nothing. Being tired but restless is the worst state to be in.

I drive long enough so I get off the "high" of skiing. When I got tired enough to ready to nap, I pull off and nap for a short while. Usually that's good enough for the next 2 hours!

On the longer drives back home on Sunday afternoons, I would need to stop part way for food anyway. So I drink a lot (but not coffee) to stay awake just long enough to make it to the food stop. The nap comes after food. Restful and satisfying. I'm then good to go for another 5 hrs!

 

[gladerider]

bubble gum and coke works for me. i do nj <-> s. vt. day trips several times a season. bubble gums....

 

[Bumpsis]

If I'm going by myself, often I'll opt for 1/2 day. This means that I don't have to get up early, which is the biggest factor for me since I really can't go to bed early. Thus, getting up at 5 AM is just not my thing. Having a good night's sleep, I can take the drive.
I also find that 4 hours of non-stop skiing is just about as satisfying (providing that I picked a good day) as having a whole day and taking breaks.
It's also less expensive.

If I'm going with my family or friends, we split the drive.

 

[BackLoafRiver]

I love this thread. This happens to me almost every time I go out and since I go solo, it is always a concern. Luckily I don't have over 2 hours to drive but it can still be scary.

For me it's food and drink. I don't eat lunch during the day until after I have wrapped up skiing. A couple turkey sandwiches and an apple usually take care of it. I also down a soda and will stop for a coffee on the way home.

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

Its odd, for me its in the morning, if we leave at 5am, I start feeling the eyes closing around 630-7, will stop, grab another coffee and I'm good,...never have an issue at night driving home even when we drive 5-6 hrs back home from NVT ..... i love driving and find it relaxing esp when the wife and kids are asleep, throw on the Sirius radio, cruise control and go.....

 

[dmc]

I used to love F'ing with my friend on drives back from Big Boulder night skiing back in the day..

He'd fall asleep in the passenger seat and I'd change lanes abruptly and scream "WATCH OUT!!!!" He's wake up in a panic almost peeing himself...

 

[Smellytele]

I used to love F'ing with my friend on drives back from Big Boulder night skiing back in the day..

He'd fall asleep in the passenger seat and I'd change lanes abruptly and scream "WATCH OUT!!!!" He's wake up in a panic almost peeing himself...

Hitting the rumble strips has this effect as well.

 

[nicks79]

Wow... A lot of good comments. Thanks All. This past Monday coming from Killington, I found that listening to comedy channel on XM and keeping the temp low in the car worked for me. I have no problem driving up in the morning even a 4 hour trip to Jay!. Its the coming back, 30 minutes into the drive when you warm up after a cold day, that the body starts to feel warm and fuzzy! The eyes start to feel extra tired because of oncoming traffic.

I'll have to try podcasts now, since Larry the Cable Guy isn't always on.
Thanks All, keep it coming!

 

[ts01]

+1 for caffeine, cold vents, and This American Life podcasts. I've sat in the driveway to finish some of those out.

Other good podcasts -- Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me (NPR comedy/news quiz) and Car Talk (Click & Clack). And also CBC news or random news on Sirius. SOmetimes I'll listen to the live music or Grateful Dead channels on Sirius if I'm awake to begin with. But the news and talk does a better job of keeping my mind engaged, especially the talk that has a Q&A format like Wait Wait. I fade it to the front left speaker to spare my sleeping passengers.

I used to save up long calls for car trips but it's quite distracting, even with a bluetooth earpiece or speakerphone. Reading the research on this and being stuck behind other drivers on cellphones has persuaded me that the cellphone is for emergencies and quick logistical calls only, not long conversations.

 

[Vortex]

I like listening to a football game, casue its live. Comedy channel is another one I use. The change of artists keeps it fresh.

I stop for gas and a sub. Kids yelling seems to keep us a wake and the dog moving around keep me awake. Not sure if the added stress of those things are much of a benefit though.

I get the 32 0z iced tea. Add a bathroom stop and that makes the ride 3.5 instead of just over three hours on Sunday.

 

[bvibert]

Caffeine doesn't seem to really work for me, though I don't drink coffee, I only get caffeine in the form of soda. Cold can work up to a point, but I've found that when I reach a thresh-hold there isn't really much I can do to stay awake, it's time to sleep or else. Before reaching that point I've found that keeping my mind active helps a lot. I play games in my head like trying to figure out the exact time I'll reach the next exit or state line (or whatever I see a sign with the distance to), based on my average speed and the distance to that point. Basically doing math in my head seems to keep me awake. Of course driving with other people in the car who are awake helps too, but I don't mind if they fall asleep.

 

[Jisch]

This thread reminds me of that joke: I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather did, not screaming for my life like the passengers in his car.

 

[abc]

I wonder if a lot of you guys aren't all that tired...

When I'm truely tired, none of those stuff works at all!

And even if those "activities" keeps me from drifting into the ditch, it was really stressful and unpleasent. I mean, being blasted by cold wind and bombarded by loud and obnoxious noise, etc.

Pull off for a quick 15 min nap. I feel almost as fresh as though I had just woke up from a restful night. I can actually ENJOY the rest of the drive.

 

[chrisrunsi]

Sport Beans extreme! They are beneficial jelly beans with caffeinne in them. I usually pop a few around 2-3 oclock to finish the day strong then finish the pack as I leave the mountain. Plus they can get stuck in your teeth for a good while which leads you to stay focused on getting them out.They also restore some electrolytes :-D

 

[campgottagopee]

8 ball and a case of Bud should do it

 

[x10003q]

Hot pepper beef jerky + water or soda works for me. The beef jerky is usually hard to chew and the hot pepper is for added fun to keep my head pointed the right way.