What's your maximum one-way day trip range?

[Greg]

I've never done 4 hours one way for a day trip, but I probably would. The most I've done is about 3:15 which puts places like Killington, Gore and Sunapee on the outer fringe of what's day trippable. If the conditions were right and there was simply no way I could swing an overnight, I would hit MRG as a day trip if I had to which is a bit over 4 hours with clear roads. You?

 

[BeanoNYC]

I've done a day trip to Killington once. What's that?...about 5 hours? Okemo once too.

 

[ERJ-145CA]

It's about 3 1/2 hours under the right conditions. Last season my first and last days were at Mt. Snow (3 1/2 hours each way) because it was the closest place open on the days I could go. I may have to do it again this month 'cause Belleayre is opening later than previous years.

 

[mondeo]

Probably 4 hours. But only for Sugarbush.

Can't wait for Bear Mountain to open. Cuts my 3 hour weekly trip down to 2:45. Not that much time, but waking up at 4:45 instead of 4:30 is a big deal.

 

[Philpug]

I did Kton from West Chester once.

 

[gmcunni]

rule of thumb for me.. total drive time cannot exceed total skiing time. for me in SW CT. Okemo/MT Snow/Magic are about 3 hours. i did make it home from MRG in 4 hours but i don't think that is repeatable.

 

[RootDKJ]

about 3 hours

 

[Greg]

rule of thumb for me.. total drive time cannot exceed total skiing time.

I used to follow that approach too, but it's just not realistic for the further drives. Say you're driving one way 3 1/2 hours. Insisting on 7 hours of ski time makes for a hella long day. If doing a long day trip I do like to get at least 5 hours of decent on snow time though.

 

[gmcunni]

I used to follow that approach too, but it's just not realistic for the further drives.

agreed, so i don't do long drives for day trips, i turn those into weekend trips :lol:

if i have someone to split the driving with then the rules go out the window.

 

[Greg]

if i have someone to split the driving with then the rules go out the window.

For me, it's not even so much splitting the driving. It's just at least having someone with me to bullshit with. That cuts the perceived time down a lot.

 

[madskier6]

The farthest I will drive without another driver to relieve me is about 3 to 4 hours. For me, that means MRG, Sugarbush, Whiteface & Stowe. I've done day trips to Sugarbush & MRG in the past although those trips were a stretch. I've done Killington several times which is 2.5 to 3 hours solo. If I had another driver or an adult companion to pass the time, then it's obviously a lot easier. I've driven with my children 3 hours plus but they usually fall asleep on the way up or on the way back (or both) so I'm pretty much driving on my own.

 

[abc]

You guys are a lot more hardcore than me! The longest one way for me is 2 1/2 hrs to Plattekill last season. That's enough of a drag that I don't do it often. I like Plattekill enough I'm looking to turn it into a weekend trip this year.

But you guys live a lot closer to REAL ski hills than me too! Part of my problem being there're no place I like enough to do more than 2 hrs one way. If I live within 3 hrs or Stowe, Sugarbush or MRG, it might be worth it. But for the Catskills, ~2 hr is max. That puts Bellerye and Hunter barely within range, and I have to drive fast (and there's no traffic).

 

[riverc0il]

Four hours has always been my absolute maximum though I don't think I have ever done more than 3.5 or so. When I lived in Salem, MA it took right around 3.5 hours to get to Mad River Glen and that was acceptable for a day trip. However, as my day trip history from MA shows, I got many more days in NH at only 2+ hours when I lived in MA for convenience purposes.

 

[wa-loaf]

I've done Stowe as a day trip from Boston. That's about 3.5. I think Hunter took us about 4 hrs last year, but i wasn't driving so it doesn't count.

 

[bvibert]

MRG is my limit, that's over 4 hours. I've done the solo day trip a couple times and was fine. I wouldn't want to go further than that for a solo day trip though. There's also no way that I'm getting a full day in with travel times that long, 5-6 hours is plenty when you've got that many hours alone in the car ahead of you.

 

[severine]

rule of thumb for me.. total drive time cannot exceed total skiing time. for me in SW CT. Okemo/MT Snow/Magic are about 3 hours. i did make it home from MRG in 4 hours but i don't think that is repeatable.

I've considered that approach. Southern VT is probably as far as I'd go alone. So Okemo and Mt. Snow would be okay... Magic (which I haven't been to before but want to). But further north, not likely to do it. Too much of a pain to manage with childcare at home and all.

Brian did go to MRG last year as a day trip. I don't think I'd do that.

 

[Big Game]

Depends on the snow.

 

[MrMagic]

my max is 3, which puts me in the range of mt snow up to okeamo/ ascutney, i do killington /pico but its more like 3.5 ill only do that a few times a year.

 

[bigbog]

....

A one-way commute is a two(or more) day trip..imo, but to stay with the topic....Bangor(ME) to Tuckerman..~150mi...which is a given overnight stay somewhere after the hike up and skiing, followed by food & liquid refreshment.
*Did a Bangor to central Tennessee trip, practically non-stop in August. Wouldn't have taken out the gas card as much with a great mpg vehicle, but the height and smooth ride of my Xterra sure made it a lot more doable, of course getting past NYC in the early AM hours is the only way to go...so much easier on the body when you eliminate the traffic bottleneck zones.

SteveD

 

[hardline]

for me its about 3 hours. i did go to bromley last year on my birthday to meet some friends. i might consider mt snow. any longer than 3 i get worried about falling asleep while driving home.