Most Exciting and Most Boring Drives to Mountains

[skiadikt]

What you're describing at Sugarloaf sounds like the approach to Abasin from the Loveland pass side.

And you see tons of mountainous beauty, then you round the bend,(the obvious one in the pic) and you see the front side of Abasin(palli included) and the massive East Wall imposing in the back drop.
At that moment you are IN the mountain, surrounded on all sides and you feel a presence like no other.

I think Carrie would agree. THAT is the moment when she got a big grin on and started to shake a little. I think she liked it. .........a lot

i remember shaking a LOT first time i rode the palli lift

 

[bvibert]

I still get excited when I'm coming over 219 and Sundown pops into view a couple times before descending down to 44.

 

[UVSHTSTRM]

I think nearly ever ski resort has one of those spots
I call that the foreplay spot. You know that the real excitement is......errrr......coming!!!

Yes everyone has one of course, but none as impressive as Sugarloaf, although I would put Cannon up there as well. Granted I don't recall the approach to the Mt Mansfield resorts so they may be up there as well.

Anywho, my favorite drive (approach) is Sugarloaf from the Northeast (Route 15 to 16). It does have it's boring spots, but you get two great views one. One between Kingsbury and Bingham gives you a shot of the Western Mountains and north towards Squaw. Then you obviously get the OMG Corner. Coming from the south and west isn't as impressive.

Worst drive is either route 4 from 89 to go to Killington, mostly cuz I make it so often and Mount Snow for the same reason.

Another good approach is not because of the mountain approach (Squaw), but rather the approach to the town and that would be coming over Indian Hill on route 15 as you get your first glimpse of Moosehead Lake.

My best and worst are not based on time and road conditions, but rather views, stoke level, etc.

 

[ta&idaho]

I almost got a rental minivan stuck on the drive to Plattekill, where the roads are about as heavily travelled as you might guess from the signage:

Berkshire East also has a scenic drive (and only slightly newer signage).

Out West, the drive from the Bay Area to Mammoth through Yosemite (closed most of the winter) is spectacular, as are some of the drives around Lake Tahoe.

 

[snoseek]

I really liked my drive to Sunday River from dover on secondary highways , It saved gas and was only an extra 10 minutes. Maine Pike to 26 (or 27 to the loaf) sucks

 

[dmc]

 

[Geoff]

most boring: getting to VT from NH on 89. I don't know what it is, but that 60 miles of road bores the heck out of me.

+1

I now usually grocery shop at the Market Basket in Warner at mile marker 20 so that at least breaks up the drive.

 

[Puck it]

most boring: getting to VT from NH on 89. I don't know what it is, but that 60 miles of road bores the heck out of me. .

This does suck going to Mt Sunapee. I got off at Exit 5.
Killington drive sucks but the worst part is that it take 45min or 1 hour to go 30 miles on Rt 4.

most annoying: Wildcat - worth it, but even with the short cuts, getting around N. Conway is a pain. It's also very disappointing as it's turned from somewhat quaint 25 years ago, to chain restaurant, home depot, walmart USA.

I do not bother with Rt 16 any more. I go up I93 to Rt 3 to Rt 302. It is longer in miles but shorter in time. My GPS yells at me until I get past the Meredith exit and then the arrival time drops by 20 minutes.

 

[Moe Ghoul]

Most exciting = driving to any hill to go skiing
Most boring = leaving any hill after skiing to go home.

 

[Geoff]

This does suck going to Mt Sunapee. I got off at Exit 5.
Killington drive sucks but the worst part is that it take 45min or 1 hour to go 30 miles on Rt 4.

It's way better than the drive the New Yorkers and Connecticut people have since it's limited to 30 miles. For the New Yorkers, it's 70 miles from Lake George with 46 miles of it on crap road.

For the Connecticut people, it's an hour to do the 44 miles on 103 to 100. On Sunday if you leave mid-afternoon, you have to take an alternate route to avoid the Okemo bottleneck.

I find Grey, Me to Sunday River pretty tedious.

 

[deadheadskier]

I do not bother with Rt 16 any more. I go up I93 to Rt 3 to Rt 302. It is longer in miles but shorter in time. My GPS yells at me until I get past the Meredith exit and then the arrival time drops by 20 minutes.

If I lived where you did, I would do the same. Going that direction from where I live would add well over an hour to the trip.

 

[Puck it]

If I lived where you did, I would do the same. Going that direction from where I live would add well over an hour to the trip.

Hear ya. No option for you.

 

[bigbog]

Some of the roads out west are incredible. Along with Berthoud Pass I like to drive over Loveland if the weather is good. Loveland on one side A-Basin on the other. The canyons in Utah can be fun (especially if the flashers are on).

In the east I love a trip over Kamcamagus Pass. Nice pull over a the top to sit and take in the Whites. NH 118 has an awesome view of the Whites as you decend to the Baker Valley......

Ditto on that Kancamagus Pass...very impressive pitch in some of those those slides, probably not much different than some out west.

 

[Smellytele]

The ride up to MRG is fun. Also the ride up to Mt Rose in Tahoe and up from SLC to any ski area. Jackson Hole from town.
Most boring 89 to anywhere. The road to Waterville Valley. The ride to Sugarloaf.

 

[WWF-VT]

Occasionally I'll take Route 100 as part of my commute to/from Sugarbush. The stretch Route 100 from Granville to Warren through the Granville Gulf is a cool ride as it's really narrow with lots of twists and turns. If its snowing you really have to be focused on the road and driving.

Like other have said 93 North through NH is a boring drive. By the time I hit 89 in VT I am thinking about what exit to take to get to Sugarbush just to vary the trip. Most often route is Exit 5 to Roxbury Gap, next is Exit 9 and random Exit 3 taking 107 to 100 North. Surprisingly when 89 is at its worst I usually take Exit 3.

 

[riverc0il]

Mrs. Glenn and I have done that every weekend since 3/20....with the exception of one weekend. I can do it with my eyes closed. A lot depends on when you leave. It bunches up around Fartford on Fridays. Springfield always slows down because some genius decided to to make the highway two lanes.

I was thinking of the long boring hills of Vermont being the bad part. Not necessarily the traffic in the cities down south. But I can see that part being really bad too. Since you guys are Mount Snow travelers, you don't really get into the really long haul part of I-91 which is the central 1/3 of the interstate from a couple exits south of WRJ to StJ.

 

[Zand]

I was thinking of the long boring hills of Vermont being the bad part. Not necessarily the traffic in the cities down south. But I can see that part being really bad too. Since you guys are Mount Snow travelers, you don't really get into the really long haul part of I-91 which is the central 1/3 of the interstate from a couple exits south of WRJ to StJ.

I've been up and down 91 like 7 times in the past 2 months. Felt really nice changing it up going down 93 instead on Saturday which at least actually has other cars and civilization along it.

 

[HowieT2]

Occasionally I'll take Route 100 as part of my commute to/from Sugarbush. The stretch Route 100 from Granville to Warren through the Granville Gulf is a cool ride as it's really narrow with lots of twists and turns. If its snowing you really have to be focused on the road and driving.

Like other have said 93 North through NH is a boring drive. By the time I hit 89 in VT I am thinking about what exit to take to get to Sugarbush just to vary the trip. Most often route is Exit 5 to Roxbury Gap, next is Exit 9 and random Exit 3 taking 107 to 100 North. Surprisingly when 89 is at its worst I usually take Exit 3.

I've taken that stretch of 100 on the way to sugarbush every weekend for the last 2 seasons. The Granville Gulf is spectacular especially when you have the huge sheets of blue ice hanging from the cliffs and the waterfalls frozen solid.
and I've only needed to be towed out of snow/ditch once.

 

[midd]

this is my favorite view, first real glance at the rockies westbound on I-70 coming out of Denver. gets the pulse racing every time.

 

[millerm277]

I always love the ride to Hunter through Catskill Park on 23a, the waterfalls and winding road through the forest are nice.

The trek from San Francisco to South Lake Tahoe is always great as well, high passes, big cliffs with just a small stone wall for a guardrail, forests, rivers, lots of alpine zone.....makes for a very interesting ride.