Ski areas just out of your day trip range

[Greg]

What ski areas are just our of your day trip range, but you would still like to ski? For me, Plattekill is probably close to 3 hours and that may be a bit far for me. Not that I wouldn't day trip 3 hours to ski, but that's a bit much for a 1,100 vert hill. If the Catskill got hit with a dump, the Berks may likely have fared well too so I'd probably just hit Beast or Catamount instead.

Gore is pushing it at probably like 3:15, but as a bigger hill, I may still need to hit that. Burke is an insane day trip at probably 4 hours+, but I may still do that anyway. At 4:15, I've seriously considered MRG or Sugarbush, but by the same token Loon or Waterville at the same distance would be too far for me to go just for a day.

 

[riverc0il]

saddleback and sugarloaf push my tolerance for day trips. at three hours for saddleback and 3.5ish for the loaf, they are actually well within most skier's day trip range, but perspectives are a little different when a dozen 2000 vert areas are within an hour and a half. whiteface and gore suffer similar "just a tad too far from here" symptons for my day tripping desires. i really think twice about driving more than 1.5 hours now whereas before i would do 3+ easily.

 

[awf170]

Probably nothing in New England. Me and my dad have done day trips to Jay Peak and Sugarloaf. When I go by myself though it will be different, Burke and Wildcat will probably be my limit.

 

[skibum9995]

I wish I could get to Sugarloaf easier. At about 3.5 hours it is definately a doable day trip but it's hard to justify that when it's only 13-14 mins to Mid-Burke.

 

[Sky]

Sugarloaf...and Wildcat (Spaulding Turnpike to North Conway *shudder*)

Hunter and Whiteface are out.

Cannon and Okemo are within my travel distance...so Loon and Waterville Valley et al are as well.

 

[ALLSKIING]

I have done Mt. Snow for the day which is about 5.5 hrs. Killington can be done but for the most part it is just a bit to far for the day. I have done a bunch of Hunter days trips and that can be 4 to 4.5. Not much I can do its just the way it is for me.

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

K/Pico are about the furthest id drive in a day 3.5hrs.. River i wish i had your problem, 12 areas with a 2K vertical within 1.5hrs... I like Greg's perspective on this, you have to spend as much time on the mountain skiing as you did for both ways of driving in your car.. Getting yourself up early and pumped up driving there is easy, its the ride home that sucks.

 

[hammer]

My tolerance with the family is a bit lower, so anything more than 2 hours or so one way is outside day trip range.

Unfortunately, that means that just about any place in VT is out...also, any place near North Conway would be just a bit too far.

A lot of people here have me sold on trying Burke...that might be a day trip for me if I can get the ride tolerance up a bit. Killington is not on my list for a long day trip -- the place would just be too big and crazy to get a decent day of skiing in after a 2.5 - 3 hour one way drive.

 

[wintersyndrome]

Like Allskiing i'd be coming up from The Island, Mt Snow, Stratton and Gore are probably my limits for a day trips.

Being from LI we normally have to make at least an overnight, but more convetionally a weekend out of it, though there are the options for bus trips, but they can be a crapshoot.

 

[kickstand]

...and Wildcat (Spaulding Turnpike to North Conway *shudder*)

there are ways around it, amigo. You just have to ask the right people the right questions!

 

[ski_adk]

I live in Albany and I"m only willing to travel about 2 hrs each way for a resort. So, that would put Sugarbush, Mad River Glen (won't let the drive stop me this year if there's snow), and Jay Peak out for day tripping. Fortunately, there's about 10-12 good areas that do fit within that range.

 

[Grassi21]

My max will will be 2.5 hours from Southbury CT. Catamount will be the majority of my day trips (1.5 hours each way leaves lots of time for turns). Within the 2.5 hr range I can hit Hunter, Jiminy, and after hearing people mention the Beast I may give it a try. I was considering day trips to Mt. Snow. But now that we have befriended those hippies in VT we will probably do an overnight or two with them this season. If there is an AZ outing past the 2.5 hour mark I would be willing to make the drive.

 

[2knees]

I make the day trip to killington quite a bit. from hartford, at 80 mph it's about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours to exit 6. On 103 and 100, if everything goes well you can get there in 2.5 hours but get behind a blue hair or some trucks and it can easily reach 3. I've thought about mrg and sugarbush but that's more like 3 3/4 and that's pushing it for the ride home. Hunter i did last year and that was a solid 3 hours. I guess anything past killington and anything worth skiing in nh is a bit out of my range.

 

[Greg]

I've thought about mrg and sugarbush but that's more like 3 3/4 and that's pushing it for the ride home.

I'll hit MRG as a day trip with you this season provided, (1) they have good coverage and (2) the road conditions are clean the whole way. At 75 MPH, I can get there in just over four hours, but it's taken 5 1/2+ with poor roads.

 

[2knees]

deal. now we got to actually follow through with it.

 

[rjc1976]

My day trip threshold is about 2.5 to 3 hours. Whether it's 2.5 or 3 depends on what the mountain has to offer in terrain and conditions. That said, Jiminy and Gore a bit outside of what I'd do as a day trip. Day trips for me tend to be in the Catskills or Elk in PA. The only exceptions to that are if I an going at night, which is rare these days. Then it becomes Blue Mountain or Mountain Creek.

 

[MikeTrainor]

Sugarloaf is out of my day trip range try to keep it under 3 hours can go 3.5 on occasion

 

[bvibert]

We went to Killington a few years back, that made for a long drive back after skiing all day. IIRC it took us over 3 hours to get back home. I guess that's about my limit, though I may consider longer for the right opportunity.

 

[andyzee]

I'm in north NJ, my daytrips go as far as the Catskills. Never tried anything in MA, have a feeling I may this year and imaging that would fall into the same catergory as the Catskills.

I do have a nutty friend who on numerous occasions has traveled from Greenwhich, CT to Stowe, skied all day, and then drove home :-o

 

[shwilly]

I live in Somerville, MA.

At a bare minimum of 3:45, Sugarloaf is a bit beyond normal day trip range. Some day I'll probably do it for a pow day. Normally we spend weekends up there or use our Maine crash space connections.

Likewise, Jay is just out of day trip range. You could do it, but it would be unpleasant. We always get a motel room when we go there.