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getting to Pinkham Notch from the Boston & general eastern MA area

SkiingInABlueDream

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I vacillate on route choice everytime I head up there so Im curious what're peoples' routes of choice and why.

I refuse to do 95 to 16 because I abhor the stripmall hell of Conway & N. Conway.

The Kanc > Bear Notch > 302 > 16 is a great non-winter drive as long as you're not stuck behind a train of traffic doing 40. (And assuming Lincoln's not too crowded, though I don't think I've ever seen Lincoln as bad as N.Conway)

Heading home from PNVC on Saturday evening I ended up going up to Gorham to 2 through Twin Mtn (arghh, don't want to do that route again) because Rt 16 was backed up to the 16A junction.

So what're your preferred routes?
 

Puck it

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16 Sucks. I now do the 93 to 3 to 302 to 16 route now. It is longer in mileage but is actually less time for me.
 

SkiingInABlueDream

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16 Sucks. I now do the 93 to 3 to 302 to 16 route now. It is longer in mileage but is actually less time for me.

Agree about 16. It never really feels like I've left 95. I've looked at the 302 route too but it just looks wrong (on the map at least) to backtrack so far south. Have you ever compared it timewise against the Kanc-bear notch route?

I think I've done 93 to 104 thru Meredith to 16 once or twice and found it a lot slower than I thought it should have been, probably due to unnecessarily slow drivers.
 

Puck it

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Agree about 16. It never really feels like I've left 95. I've looked at the 302 route too but it just looks wrong (on the map at least) to backtrack so far south. Have you ever compared it timewise against the Kanc-bear notch route?

I think I've done 93 to 104 thru Meredith to 16 once or twice and found it a lot slower than I thought it should have been, probably due to unnecessarily slow drivers.

I have tried the 104 route too. Much slower. For me, 93 to 302 is the fastest. The Bear notch route would be slower then the 302 route most definitely.
 

snowmonster

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In my mind, northern New England
95 to 16 all the time. During the winter or spring ski season, I usually leave Boston before dawn and get off the mountain way past the 7 pm feeding time. Never had to deal with the strip mall traffic. I guess I'm lucky.
 

riverc0il

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95 > 16 > Westside Road

skips most of the strip mall hel
This.

For those going 93, it is quicker to go 93 > 3 > 115 > 2 > 16 than 302 > 16. For spring skiing, Pinkham B (when open) will shave a few more minutes if you don't mind a roughed up dirt road.

Google maps shows Route 16 as six minutes faster than 93/3/115/2. Though Google doesn't go Westside which is worth a few minutes. If your going over 70 on the highway, 93 might be faster. Either way you get cops but fewer on 93 than 16 for sure.

I always went 16 when I lived north of Boston. You'll get better gas mileage going 55ish on 16 as well as fewer miles. Depends if that $6-8 is worth the couple of lights and stop signs.
 

LiquidFeet

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95 to 16 all the time. During the winter or spring ski season, I usually leave Boston before dawn and get off the mountain way past the 7 pm feeding time. Never had to deal with the strip mall traffic. I guess I'm lucky.

Me too; I leave in the early morning dark with the goal of arriving at Wildcat early enough to get first chair or thereabouts. 95>16, and at that hour Westside Road is not necessary. Occasionally I get behind a school bus for a bit there in Conway. The worst ever is a school bus on Westside Road. Bummer.

I do this every weekend; given 93 > 3 > 302 > 16 could be better for some but remember Hurricane Irene did in Crawford Notch and I think it's still one lane there. That isn't going to be very pretty in snow.

The Kank (212) also still has one lane, if that, from the hurricane damage I think. You don't want to be traversing the Kank during a snow storm.
 

darent

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16 Sucks. I now do the 93 to 3 to 302 to 16 route now. It is longer in mileage but is actually less time for me.

I do the 93-3-302-16 when I ski NH,I'm usually driving up late at night,less trafffic and we stay in twin mountain'
 

Cannonball

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Too many contributing factors to generalize an answer to this. It's always a game time decision.

- "Halfway home" beers at Redhook? Better take 16.
- Will my aunt in Tamworth have a turkey coming out of the oven and hot apple pie? Skip 302, can still choose 104 over 16.
- Heavy snow? 16 beats 302 and Franconia Notch.
- Late day spring sun? Hard to beat the Kanc or 302.
- etc, etc
 
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