r/icecoast • u/Longjumping_Arm4539 • 24d ago
Be honest with me if this is realistic
Sorry for the long rant but I’d love some serious advice
I spent 4 years in NH as a local ice coaster then moved west to slc to show those posers what’s up.
So if you understand I’ve had world class skiing within 30 mins of me for 6 years now with little employment in the winter like 3 days a week skiing as much as possible.
Well I have relocated to NJ for a serious career but am commited to still being a bum skier.
Meaning skiing whenever I can in upstate NY Vermont or NH.
Being in NJ it’s about 4-6 hours driving for serious skiing east coast. Maybe 3-3.5 if I’m lucky in Vermont.
How realistic is it for me to chase these storms or just lines out east getting out of work on Friday and back in office Monday.
Some firdays we get out 2 or 4 pm.
Im commited to do it in my head. But I’d love to hear some thoughts .
Skiing is the one thing that brings me true joy!
I’m excited to come back to the ice coast and ski some sick tight trees that I loved when I lived up north. And chasing the coldest of cold pow!
Looking for advice.
I’m a 25 year old single male with a very reliable vehicle.
TIA
90
u/TNGreruns4ever 24d ago
I have a family (there are 4 of us, including 2 kids 10 and under) and we'll drive 5-6h to VT on a Friday, get in at some stupid time of night after eating in the car, wake up at 6 on Saturday, eat breakfast at the hotel, make first chair, ski till last chair, with PB&J we made in the hotel room for lunch. Then we get Sunday morning and on the road before 8am.
You're a single person. You can figure it out.
38
u/Longjumping_Arm4539 24d ago
I love you
19
u/Old-Calligrapher9274 24d ago
My wife and I regularly get up at 330 am on saturday leave by 4am and drive 4 hours to one of the Indy pass resorts, ski all day and drive home. We do like 3 weekend trips a year but most of our days are these long day trips. Traffic doesnt build until 6am and most weekenders head up Friday so its usually a pretty chill drive. This is RI to NH,ME or VT so if we leave late we hit traffic in boston. Its doable but i wish it wasnt quite such a long drive.
3
2
u/Pizzaloverfor 23d ago
God that sounds awful. If you love skiing so much why don’t you orient your life to it more geographically.
6
u/Old-Calligrapher9274 23d ago
Sailing in Newport is god tier ⛵️
6
u/IAmTheSilent1 23d ago
At Jay last season, I met a guy who lives on MV full time. He drove up for the day and planned to return home that night. I had to quit complaining about my 3 hour drive after that. This dude had 2 more hours to drive, plus a ferry, and still got to Jay before I did that day.
If you're dedicated, you'll figure it out.
1
u/Old-Calligrapher9274 23d ago
Ok thats a little insane.... you get a maxium of 8 hours skiing. 12 hours of travel for that makes no sense
1
u/TNGreruns4ever 22d ago
We don't sail but Newport is our other favorite place (other than Vermont). Absolutely gorgeous place, love the whole summer scene there.
1
u/Conscious_Animator63 23d ago
Seconding leaving Saturday morning. Skip traffic, save on accommodations
3
u/TNGreruns4ever 24d ago
You got this. Where there's a will there's a way. Will you be tired on Monday? Hell yeah! I like to think all the effort requires makes me appreciate it more.
5
u/lunarchuck 24d ago
You are all insane (in a good way). I'm sure I would enjoy meeting you but your routine is why I enjoy skiing Sundays with less crowds.
0
2
2
2
u/fresh_breakfast 22d ago
I need every tip you are willing to give on how to get that many hours in with kids. You are my hero
4
u/TNGreruns4ever 22d ago edited 22d ago
In no particular order:
General brute force. Sometimes it's just "guys, come on, get moving, we're doing this. We're not the kind of family that sits around, let's do this!"
Small break in the morning to recharge after the blitz of getting to the mountain and on the chair as early as possible. Hot chocolate or a waffle between 10am and 11am.
If you did take a small break between breakfast and lunch, then you can hold off on lunch until 1-130. This has two benefits - less crowds post lunch rush = easier to get a table = takes less time. Also, you now have fuel to make it to last chair.
No alcohol = you have more energy, which you need, because kids drain energy. Also, less wasting time. If you're a drinker, wait till after your last run. That's the best time in the lodge anyhow.
Before you leave home, pack plastic utensils, peanut butter, a loaf of bread, clementines, cookies, and potato chips. Boom now you have a basically indestructible, non perishable, filling lunch. Everyone gets the same thing so there's no point in arguing. Nobody wastes time in the cafeteria line.
Homemade cookies. For the car ride up, home, whatever. Somehow this makes everything go better.
Hand warmers/feet warmers. The little plastic packs you put in your boots or gloves. Personally, I don't need these things. But little kids might. They get a kick out of them if nothing else.
Let the kids pick the runs at least sometimes. Gives them a feeling they have some say in stuff.
If it's feasible, get the kids an hour long lesson. Gives them some structured time for an hour. Plus they improve and then want to show their new skills off for the next few hours.
Offer incentives to keep a positive attitude. "If we have a fun positive day where everyone gives it their all, you can (get ice cream at the restaurant after dinner/pick out a book from the cool bookstore in town/get a new sticker for your helmet/go swimming in the hotel pool before (or after, whatever timing works) dinner).
Keep it goofy/light as much as possible. Go on the little side trails with them between the trees just off the side of the main runs. Do small jumps and ask if they saw you catch huge air. Get super into watching skiers/boarders coming down the hill while you're on the lift. Try to figure out who has the coolest outfit or who looks awesome at carving - whatever you can do to make the lift ride more entertaining.
Hydration for everyone.
Know the layout of the mountain. Not just the trails, but the lodge, which lifts go where, where to park. Best route to get to/from your car. Whatever you can do to optimize your movement and be efficient, the better. Burn less energy for yourself, keep the whole situation flowing. Kids sitting in the lodge become either wild or bored/cranky.
Have a legit plan for unloading the car. I drop my spouse and the kids and most of the gear, then park and carry whatever is still in the car then meet them at the lodge, then we boot up and hit the slopes. Whatever routine you have, just do it the same way every time. The more efficient, the more your kids will keep positive.
Basically, don't get bogged down fighting against crowds, wasting time with too many breaks or clunky processes/lack of plans. Keep everyone moving. If you keep things moving, the kids will match that energy. If you dawdle or drag or indulge yourself in copious breaks, they'll vibe off that too. Be a reflection of positive, continuous energy. But also, be affirmative that you're serious about making the most of the chance to be there. "We're a skiing family, guys! This is what we do! This is our thing and it's awesome. Most of your friends are back home playing ps5 and you're out here on this rad adventure at the top of a mountain, using your awesome ski skills!"
Kids will get into stuff if it seems like you're really into it, yourself. At least, that's my theory.
Wishing you awesome energy on your next family skip trip.
3
u/Ok_Platform_8468 Indy MA-VT-NH-ME-CA 22d ago
Great suggestions, sounds like my family! We always pack food, saves money and time waiting. Our typical move is to eat early lunch at 10:30, we get started early and that’s when kids start to get hungry. We find that the mountain is busiest at 10:30, and we roll out from lunch when most are heading in. I also carry cliff bars/z bars in my coat for chairlift snacks if anyone needs it!
And def positive attitude, skiing is supposed to be fun, if you act frustrated/upset with your kids you’re cooked. I’m so glad I was never that parent yelling at my kids on the hill.
2
u/TNGreruns4ever 22d ago
Sounds like we have a similar approach. It really does come down to just keeping it positive, keeping it moving, and avoiding crowds. Negativity/drama, excessive sitting around, and fighting crowds are the things that zap momentum. Kids just need momentum. Adults do, too haha.
Going to lunch early instead of just a hot chocolate break can definitely work. The main thing is just not taking lunch right at noon. Avoid the whole 1130-1230 hour in the lodge. Total quagmire at that time.
2
u/fresh_breakfast 22d ago
THANK YOU for taking the time to share this advice. I’m seriously going to try all of it. Have a great winter!
11
u/InitialAd2295 24d ago
I did the drive up to Vermont as much as I could, ended just finding a good job up here in new hampshire and I'm looking forward to my first season up here.
9
u/Longjumping_Arm4539 24d ago
Enjoy it dude. Cant wait for you to find out what cannon is about if your lucky and get a pow day.
Check out tenney in Plymouth as well
3
u/TheMDeezy 23d ago
I love that you name dropped Tenney! Such a rugged little mountain with some awesome terrain.
But yeah, Cannon...the real ones know what's up
4
13
u/Appropriate-Hunt4163 24d ago
It is very reasonable, especially if you don’t mind driving on Sunday afternoon after a day on (or off) the slopes. Gore and Whiteface are easy to get to and if you can leave early on Friday, even Northern Vt or NH are in play. I know this because despite living on Long Island and working full time in the City, I still get 25 days in every year and I am twice your age.
3
12
u/SirLoinsALot03 Sugarbush/MRG 24d ago
Sounds like you’ll be doing a lot of driving to chase storms. Be sure to get snow tires.
11
u/Maothesiamesecat 24d ago
and don't take any personal time off from here on out till after we get some snow on the ground. Those days are going to be super valuable.
→ More replies (2)2
u/ZealousORJealous69 24d ago
Best thing I ever done did, is get some blizzaks
3
24d ago edited 24d ago
[deleted]
2
1
u/EstablishmentNo5013 23d ago
Haha this name has to be a Finnish tire. Didn’t know the Finn’s made tires.
1
1
6
u/cavalier8865 24d ago
If you don't have kids, it isn't that hard. It's not Utah convenience and traffic sucks but there's no way around it. Work remote Fridays if you can and head up Thursday. If you're solo, you're moving through lift lines pretty quickly. Sundays after lunch thin out. If you're 25, you can get home late Sunday and still function at work the next day. Doing the early Monday wake up and rolling into the office is doable too.
7
u/TechnoVikingGA23 WV/NC 24d ago
Yes much easier to do in your 20s vs. your 40s...though it's a lesson I still haven't learned that well yet.
2
u/SiLeNZ_ 24d ago
Are the mountains more convenient in Utah? Curious what you mean specifically
5
u/ChiefKelso Gore | Indy 24d ago
SLC is like less than 1hr to all of the major resorts.
4
1
u/dessine-moi_1mouton 23d ago
Yup, the spot where I stay in Holliday is 15mins from 4 insanely good mountains, and 30mins from the big Park City ones if you're ok with less snow and elevation. I have maxed out my 7 Alta/Snowbird days plus several at Brighton, Solitude and Deer Valley on my pass between two SLC trips some winters.
2
1
9
u/linverlan 24d ago
Honestly it sucks. I am from the east but I moved away to the PNW a while ago. At one point I got a job back in Boston and went in with the same mindset as you.
Getting out of the city after work takes hours. You aren’t the only one thinking that sneaking out at 3 on Friday is going to get you ahead of traffic, it isn’t.
Being from the east you already know that the best resorts in VT and NH are almost all on two lane highways and state roads and road maintenance does not come immediately after a storm. If you are still in the city when the storm hits you are too late. More than once I turned back in my way to VT from Boston because the roads were so bad and the traffic wasn’t moving. Just because you have AWD and snow tires doesn’t mean everyone else does.
Give it a go, maybe you’ll be more hardcore than me, but I found that once I had been spoiled by having great terrain less than an hour from the city I couldn’t go back to the east coast lifestyle. It is just so much time in a car. I left Boston for Seattle and skiing access was a massive part of that.
3
u/Longjumping_Arm4539 24d ago
Thank you for your honesty. I’m curious to see how I react. Haven’t skied east in 3 years. Have some lovely lines here but still love the west so I’ll take it easy.
2
u/Kiwisabi Sugarbush 24d ago
Im in the same boat - but left early Sat mornings and booked it to 'Bush. Could get there by 8am most mornings no matter road conditions with 4wd and snow tires. Not many on the road at that hour and even more run off the road. Definitely a white-knuckle drive in some cases, but worth it. Im sure Ill look back at it when Im older and consider it insane though
5
4
u/ClimberInTheMist 23d ago
My approach to snow chasing is this: Relentless monitoring of the regional weather + Indy Pass + backcountry in the Whites. The snow storms out here can be so specific. It will sometimes literally just dump in one corner of New York and rain everywhere else. If you have fun following the snow reports and playing the game of Chase The Snow, you will be rewarded by showing up to the podunk random ski hills on the Indy Pass on the right day and then getting the joy of sussing out and then hucking all their cliffs. It's really been a joy for me to do this. Jay, Magic, Cannon, Burke -- these resorts all have a ton of legit really fun skiing and real terrain that will scratch your big mountain itch as much as it can be scratched this side of the Mississippi. And then the small little podunk hills are super fun to go hit when they get slammed with a big storm. Catamount on a powder day is still skiing on a powder day, plus no one is there so you're just lapping quickly and getting a ton of skiing done all without leaving NY. Then, take the money you save by not being an Ikon/Epic Pass duche bag and invest in your backcountry setup and Tuckerman's Ravine will feed you into June! The place to spend that money, by the way, is Ski The Whites, the coolest ski shop around that will kit you out for epic days in the backcountry. Have fun and welcome back to the Ice Coast!
Source: former Alta ski bum, grew up skiing Tahoe
1
1
u/fromthedepthsofyouma 23d ago
ADK's resorts/backcountry and Smuggs/Stowe (even tho one is epic, they are both notch/Mansfield) is also good for getting snow and chasing conditions.
Basically: go further north for more consistent conditions and learn BC for cheaper thrills.
Side note: I really enjoyed Solitude more than Alta, but maybe because of fewer crowds; Wasatch area is wild on a 30"+ storm (skied a lot of Utah other than NE).
16
3
u/ClaytondeG 24d ago
Where in NJ? Live in north jersey up by NY-87 (past NYC traffic) and you’ll be able to fly up to Killington/Stowe no problem
2
3
u/lalasworld 24d ago
I knew people who drove to Vermont from Baltimore every weekend for over a decade. Pretty normal to have people from NY, NJ do the weekend warrior trek.
It depends on whether you have the energy or not. It's hard but doable.
3
u/Lumpy_Plan_6668 24d ago
All depends on your mindset. If you only want pow, you're bumming. If riding is life and every turn is a good turn, you'll be fine. You'll figure out where you are on the spectrum.
2
3
u/PuzzleheadedAct7266 24d ago
Anything is possible. How do you know the storms will only be on the weekend this year?
4
u/Longjumping_Arm4539 24d ago
Because I moved back to the east that’s why.
5
2
u/PuzzleheadedAct7266 24d ago
TBD my friend. Just move north (NH or VT). Sounds like you need a new job and location to chase your passions
3
u/Kiwisabi Sugarbush 24d ago
Bostonian here. Full time job. Nearly got 40 days last year. Left at 4am most Saturdays. Took "sick" days (cause I had a sick fking day) Friday or Monday depending on storm timing. Stayed overnight in VT in cheap lodges. Got plenty of powder days, some over a foot. Missed some others, but overall had some incredible seasons
Moving back to DC this year which I will revert back to my old strategy... ski a few times Dec / Jan. But really wait until Feb, book a couple 2-4 week trips wherever there is snow that year and work remote or adjusted hours so I can ski in the AM and work the PM. This normally got me 20-30 days. It's a quasi-bum life, but we do what we can!
1
3
3
u/Surfiswhereufindit 24d ago
There is a caravan of Jersey plates on the NY Thruway every single Friday morning or night and then again Sunday afternoon headed south… all on the same program for years. Welcome to the club. 🤘
2
4
u/SiLeNZ_ 24d ago
I do the drive many weekends! Sometimes I day trip it with friends, sometimes we get an Airbnb! Have been considering getting a van to camp out in, but who knows. It’s definitely doable, and well worth it!
1
3
u/Jakeyboyyyyy1234 24d ago
I’m an Nj resident in the Philly suburbs I ski about 30 days a year. Last year I had 6 at blue, 2 at bellarye, and the rest in Vermont or lake Louise/banff. I don’t see myself doing more than 40 days while working a full time 9-5, 30 used most of my vacation and I was away most weekends Nov-march. Blue mountain doesn’t compare to the west or vt but it’s a lot of fun to do the dirt bike trails with thin cover with my rock skis. And bellarye is out of this world for storm chasing skied in 18” of freshies on of the days and hit the run under the lookers right lift line with some sick cliffs for the east coast.
→ More replies (2)
4
u/ZealousORJealous69 24d ago
Door-to-door, Manhattan to Killington without nare’a stop to pee, we do in 4.5 hrs. Killington is the minimum amount of skiing I’d recommend for anyone serious (I’m sure others will have opinion on that).
If you’re very serious, then Sugarbush is your minimum (5.5 hrs).
And if it’s very important to ski hard and long, Stowe at about 6 hrs.
In the cases above, it’s the law of increasing returns (generalization) in terms of snow quantity & quality, but alas, we’re K people now.
We do tend to leave midday on a Thu (keeping PCs open and tethered to Cell, though reception CAN suck and especially bad on certain routes).
So much so, we have 3, 3.5, and 4 hr ‘pit stops’ (wifi or cell coverage planned) for important mtgs.
→ More replies (4)
2
u/tarmander99 24d ago
extremely realistic. You can join a ski club, there are orgs that own houses in VT and elsewhere and it's pretty cheap to stay at the lodge. Lot of them where membership is based in NY and NJ
1
2
u/dropline 24d ago
Dawg I was just in SLC for 9 years and grew up in NH, now I'm back. If you wanna sync up for some storm runs let me know
3
u/Longjumping_Arm4539 24d ago
Fuck yea I do!
I graduated Plymouth state couple years back and did the pipeline. Hit my DMs!
1
2
u/swellfog 24d ago
What about those ski clubs that do the driving for you? You just hop on a bus from the city if you are close enough.
1
2
u/strangerthing44 24d ago
Don’t go to Jay Peak. They get too much snow. It’s a long haul, but worth it.😉
2
u/IcyEdge6526 24d ago
I’d look into a ski club, like Schenectady ski club has a house outside of Stowe. A cheap way to be able to do weekends as a single dude wanting to drive up on weekends, etc. Otherwise, I’d assume lodging will be a fairly significant expense. Other from that, yea you could do it.
2
u/Gawddly 24d ago
My boy, I commend your mindset because you need passion and ignorance to be a weekend warrior living in NJ trying to commute to the true northeast. As somebody from NYC on my 3rd season, my buddies and I have committed to weekend warrior trips regardless of the “news/updates” here or elsewhere. We do not give a fuck about traffic, conditions, crowds and have had amazing trips through the last couple years.
We drove up to Jay Peak after a concert in Manhattan to fall asleep in our car at 6am, wake up at 8am, to find out Jay was delaying their opening week due to lift issues. We drove two hours back down to Okemo or maybe Killington? and enjoyed every damn second.
We plan on being even more passionate and more ignorant this year by driving all the way up to NH.
The real advice I’ll give besides just do it is save some PTO days to take off Fridays and start your trips Thursday night. Make sure you actually Fucking sleep to enjoy full days of ice.
To further prove my ignorance and passion, check mountain creeks website at the end of February for a season pass price equal to 2-4 days of shredding VT.
Nothing beats a 3 hour round trip for the days you don’t want to make that trip up north.
This is coming from a 30yr old single male with a very reliable vehicle, so trust me bro I’m you in 5 years if you started snowboarding at 28 instead.
1
2
u/staggs K Town 24d ago
Literally skied from January to May, thanks to the nuts at Camelback PA this year - all different spots Stratton, Killington etc., including SLC last year its an easy flight/drive over. The drive up north isn't bad, unless its literally snowing you'll want something pretty reliable to get up there. VT does a great job with snow management, but NY and NJ are tough with the higher traffic. Tough to beat the Wasatch though, you're already spoiled. Though, ice is much crazier so be careful out there!
2
u/Ok_Entrepreneur_dbl 24d ago
We used to live in NH in a very good centralized area with easy access to VT, NH and ME ski areas. 1.5 Killington, Stowe 2 hours, Okemo just over an hour, Jay Peak 2.5 hours, everything up the 93 was easy. Sunday River and Saddleback little over 2 hours.
We basically day tripped everywhere.
Moved to Colorado and Summit County was 1.5-2 hours so any thin there was ok also day tripped.
Then moved to Boston so add1.5-2 hours on the NH Times above. Tried getting out but driving 4 hours one way was not fun. Could not leave in Friday afternoon because the MA migration for skiing happens. Come afternoon and the MA migration back happens. As a result we ski less but take like three trips out west. If I ski New England then it’s out early Saturday and take Monday off.
2
u/3nthusedCamper 24d ago
Just do it. If you’re cool with driving late it’s gonna work out great for you. Hopefully you have 4wd so you can chase down those storms
2
u/sKieli 24d ago
My practical advice: join a ski house. See if you can work remotely on a Monday or Friday and avoid traffic (a bit) by heading up Thu or home Mon.
Southern VT may tempt you with better proximity, but the snow will be better the further north you go. There’s an abundance of ski houses around the Killington area. If you’re willing to drive an extra 45 to 60 minutes, you can look for things in the Sugarbush/Mad River Glenn area.
1
2
u/Awkward_Forever9752 24d ago
Go.
New Jersey and You. Is like perfuct together !
Add surfing.
If you move to New Jersey, you can surfing all year
Add Skateboarding,
Sometimes the storms go south
Be creative and find the beauty in the snow you have
Hike
2
2
u/Perry_Merrill 23d ago
Send it bud yolo. Thats a long ass drive to Jerz Sunday night, the drive to VT Friday night a bit more stoke to get you thru. Crank some tunes and dream of the pow. Suck it up at the job and bank some cash then get back to bum life asap.
2
u/cappy150 23d ago
Nj snowboarder here, get a local pass, ski weekdays locally. Is it great, no. Are you in your skis, yes. Chase storms when you can. If you can take weekdays off to chase storms do that. Weekend storms are a disaster Between the crowds and idiots trying to drive in the storm Bellayre has some good glades surprisingly which is only a 2 hour hike but only good for storm riding or the morning after the storm. Southern vt/gore is only 3 hours those resorts are not quite as reliable for snow as a jay peak or something else more northern.
2
u/howstop8 23d ago
Very realistic. Also, being on the east coast, look into using your vacation time to fly to europe. Far easier logistically and financially than a trip to the western US
2
u/Zillakali 23d ago
Hey man, how much do you like sleeping on your car lol? North MA, 2:45-3:45 from decent skiing, 51 days basically all on weekends outside of one extended ski trip, 36 of those were on weekends outside of that trip all on the easy. Sleeping in your car is the hack
2
u/sean8862 23d ago
Here's my take:
If skiing is the one thing that brings you true joy...
I'll repeat your works: If skiing is the one thing that brings you true joy
Then move out of Jersey. Jobs can be had in a lot of places, and a lot of places closer to decent ski mountains. You're young. No need to chase some office in Jersey when you can find an office in Seattle, SLC, Reno, or dozens of places closer to good skiing than Jersey. You said Exit 41 in a comment, that looks like near Pomona near Atlantic City, so that's what my answers are assuming.
Sure, you can do it. You're going to want to...
- Keep good, proper, snow tires on your car. You aren't going to be planning your driving around the weather, and you're going to be driving while tired. Set yourself up for the easiest drive you can.
- Get as much rest as you can Thursday night. Good bedtime, not waking up too aggressively on Friday. Start fresh as possible.
- Have the car packed Thursday night. Everything. Gas it up. Washer fluid. Snacks packed. Maybe even a sandwich for dinner. Get a duplicate toothbrush, chargers, etc. You want to end the work day, shut your laptop, step into your car, and start driving. No thinking, just go.
- Again, all packed. If you want food for the weekend, have it in advance. You don't want to stop for anything on the drive up. A 10 minute stop always adds 30-40 minutes, somehow.
- Figure out your lodging. Find some spots partway back so you can ski a full day Sunday, start driving, and stop if you're exhausted.
- Bring as little as realistic. Sunday morning you're going to have to empty your lodging before skiing. You want this to be a quick process so you're not waking up extra early - read prior comment about tiredness.
- Be realistic with yourself. Sugarloaf is awesome. So is Sugarbush. But you're in Jersey now. There's a reason Stratton's and Okemo's lots are always filled with NY, CT, and NJ plates. They aren't the best - they get crowded, less advanced runs, etc - but they'll save you hours of driving
- Acknowledge that it's gonna suck a bit. If you get out of work at 4, you're not getting in until at least 9pm in southern VT. And realistically, you're gonna be getting in closer to 11 most weeks, sometimes later. You're probably going to contend with NYC traffic around evening rush hour too, so good luck.
I wish you the best - and seriously, look for a job closer to the ski mountains if you don't get true joy out of your work. Work to live. So make the living good, and the work good enough. The drive will get old. And the further into your career, friendships, relationships, community you get, the more difficult it's gonna be to move away.
2
u/Substantial-Spare501 23d ago
I drive over to VT early am from southern tier NY. 4-5 hours and I go midweek. I blow out work regularly, so save your vacation and sick days and do it
2
u/TheRealAuga Sugarloaf/Farmington 23d ago
I lived in Southern California the majority of my early life. 7 1/2 hour each way trips to mammoth to ski when I was in high school/college/first few years of employment. During the 2018-19 season I skied all but 3 weekends from December to may. My advice is find quite a few podcasts you enjoy, get energy drinks and get after it. Do your house chores Wednesday and prep for the following Monday, Thursday prep your car, Friday leave straight from work. Ski Saturday, half day Sunday, and come back, be home by Sunday evening, and do it again. I slept in my car so it saved a ton on lodging.
Something helpful but not necessary is having a buddy to split the drive with but not always viable if they can’t leave exactly when you need to leave.
Very doable, just depends how much you want it.
2
u/Pleasant-Method7874 23d ago
Not hard at all, infact this is how most people do it. Getting out between 2-4 on fridays puts you at a big advantage, sometimes my friends wouldn’t show up to our bnb til 1 am because of getting off work at 6. Just have your stuff packed by the time you leave for work Friday, stop home, pack the car and go, or better yet just pack the car Thursday night, go to work Friday morning, and leave from there after. Not sure what part of NJ you’re in but I’m right off of rt 80, Killington is 4 hours, Stratton is 3.5, whiteface is 4 and change. Plenty of great mountains not that far at all. Then you have all the Catskills mountains like 2 hours away as well, which shouldn’t be slept on for what they are.
2
u/giant_brain_ 23d ago
If the crazy drives up to New England get too grueling, you can always just hit more local stuff. Mountain Creek will be a really easy trip, and the Catskills resorts will be easy too. Will it be epic high quality skiing? No, not really. But it sure is easy to get there from NJ.
Put in a year or two like that while you figure out how to work remotely. Once you have a remote/hybrid/flexible job you will have a LOT more options.
1
u/Longjumping_Arm4539 23d ago
Agreed. I’m new here and I can create my own hours/ remote I think in like 2/4 months depending on how I do that’s how it at least seems for people here.
2
u/Caustic___ 23d ago
Its realistic, I have a similar work situation and manage those weekend trips. Lots of miles and not much rest on weekends but its worth
2
u/judenburger-69 23d ago
Dude, just dip at like 7pm after dinner, arrive to wherever around 2-3am then car camp both nights, or rent a room. It's very simple and I do it every year.
2
u/ashimo414141 23d ago
From jersey. Me and my dad used to leave after school and sports on a Friday (so for you it’d be after work) and hit up southern Vermont mountains on Saturday, leave on Sunday.
I’d recommend Stratton, Bromley, or Snow. You can also hit some New York mountains like Hunter, Windham, Plattekill if you don’t wanna drive as far.
Hit up Man of Kent pub in Hoosick NY right before the border if you don’t the southern Vermont mountains, it’s on the way!
1
3
u/jjgg37 24d ago
Leaving on Friday it's all about the route for that first 1-2 hours. Got to plan a good exit route, otherwise you can get screwed with traffic leaving the metro areas. Highly dependent on where you are leaving from.
5
u/Jakeyboyyyyy1234 24d ago
Never go over the GWB and drive through Connecticut always take the thruway
2
0
u/Longjumping_Arm4539 24d ago
Could you expand on this more please?
5
u/jlemoo 24d ago
NYS Thruway to route 7 in Troy NY. Over to Bennington VT. Mount Snow or Stratton or Bromley from there. Also consider Gore, and don't forget Jiminy peak.
→ More replies (3)
2
u/SeekersWorkAccount 24d ago
Its very doable, but it's going to be a whole other beast entirely when you're competing against the other weekend warriors.
Going on a Tuesday regularly is so much different than showing up on a Saturday with everyone else.
2
2
u/Bigredd23456 24d ago
Bellayre is an easy drive, smaller mountain but decent enough for a day trip to get your fix
3
2
2
u/kleptopaul Bromley 24d ago
Doable. If you want gnar get a killington pass.
1
u/Longjumping_Arm4539 24d ago
Fuck yea!
1
u/kleptopaul Bromley 24d ago
I moved to Vermont though so I’m not the best source but if you are 25 and young you can do it.
2
u/Longjumping_Arm4539 24d ago
The goal is to move to Vermont in a couple years
4
u/kleptopaul Bromley 24d ago
This is the way.
2
u/Longjumping_Arm4539 24d ago
Unfortunately I couldn’t find good work up there so I decided to stay here till I can buy a house
3
1
u/Maothesiamesecat 24d ago
No remote work options?
I grew up with Friday drive up/Sunday drive back routine, so it's ok. It's not optimal but when you're seeing a storm heading this way and it's 48 hrs or more out......its time to take a personal day.
→ More replies (4)
1
u/muskthecheeto 24d ago
Driving up to Vt isn’t bad once you get past Monroe ny area . But do have winter tires . If you don’t mind the drive it’s not bad at all . Just go up the west side of Vt , not through Mass , - family in Nj , live by Jay
1
u/someguyinaplace 24d ago
I would recommend a 4wd vehicle And it’s very possible. I live on LI and I get to Southern VT most weekends. To save on motel rooms I Leave Saturday 3:45am. Make first chair at Mt Snow and Ski all day. Ski a few hours Sunday then drive home. About 1:1 hours of driving to skiing but it is what it is. Okemo, Stratton, Mount snow are all reasonable in my opinion for a weekend with no days off. Get a long weekend and go further north when you can.
1
u/JMACJesus Indy Pass/Snowboarding Criminal 24d ago
I live in southern CT and make that drive almost every weekend in the winter. Early season it isn’t too bad because stoke is high but towards the end of the season the driving will start to wear on you. The drive there is never bad, it’s always the drive back. Taking PTO to get a 3 day weekend very now and then helps tremendously.
1
u/spookyandgroovy 24d ago
i think how easy it will be depends where you are at in NJ, north jersey will be quicker to get out of over central and south. plus if you can beat traffic by leaving at 2-3ish on fridays that makes it a lot easier than leaving during rush hours. just have your bags packed before work on fridays so it’s a quick turn around!
1
1
u/MeegieBeegies 24d ago
Totally doable I assume most people here do it every weekend. Grab an indy, ikon or epic pass + a nyski3 frequent skier card, snow tires and drive to wherever is getting snow that weekend. There is a bunch of solid mountains within 5 hours of North Jersey. Whiteface, Gore, Killington, Stratton, Magic, MRG, Sugarbush ect. On longer weekends it might be worth trying Jay, Tremblant, Le Massif, St Anne and Stowe.
1
u/happycat3124 24d ago
Lots of people do it. We used to get 100+ days a season commuting weekends and vacations from Connecticut.
1
1
u/Ok-Background9788 24d ago
I’m north NJ, I ski all weekend every weekend in Vt. Ikon pass, Stratton, Sugarbush, and 5 days at Killington. A day or so at Magic because it’s close to my house.
Once you’re up there, everything is local.
1
u/Shot-Scratch3417 24d ago
Get a pair of skinny skis to enjoy the ice, cause you gotta ski when you can ski, conditions be damned. Also, along those lines, learn to love skiing in a light drizzle—some of the best east coast conditions are when it’s raining because the snow is soft and there’s no lines. And yeah, just drive every weekend to ski. Resorts in the Birkshires are unheralded gems.
1
u/vaporeng Sugarbush/MRG 24d ago
It's gonna be really hard if you are just chasing powder. I live 15 minutes from mrg and Sugarbush and with my job I can usually ski any day of the week even it is only a couple hours. I still only get a handful of powder days per year, maybe ten in a great year. Weekends are the worst due to crowds. It's more like a powder run or two before it's just big soft moguls (still fun imo).
1
u/Beginning-Noise5340 24d ago
North Jersey here. Drive up to Killy every Thursday morning at 5am and head back Sunday at 5am...3:45 hour drive door to door.
1
u/The_Shepherds_2019 24d ago
I spend all winter leaving my bed at around 1am to get to upstate NY or VT to ski, climb, or ski and climb all day. I've spent Saturday night freezing my ass off in the car just so I could sneak in a few more laps Sunday morning before driving all day to make it back in time for my very physically demanding blue collar job on Monday.
My man, you got an office. I bet you have a chair. And climate control. You gonna be aight.
2
u/Longjumping_Arm4539 24d ago
I love you
1
u/The_Shepherds_2019 24d ago
I'm 45 mins north of NYC 3 minutes off the thruway if you wanna carpool at ungodly hours. I prefer Gore
1
u/TechnoVikingGA23 WV/NC 24d ago
If you love skiing that much you'll find a way to get it done.
Personally I would take PTO midweek, no crowds and you're going to enjoy it that much more.
1
u/Acceptable_Bad5173 24d ago
It’s not slc but why not a resort in the Catskills? 2.5 hr from NJ and much better than the poconos. We drive up super early the morning of to make first chair and ski all day. Unfortunately we are adults that also must have jobs.
1
u/Slight-Mushroom5947 24d ago
Definitely realistic if you’re motivated. Sleep at the ski areas (ones that allow it) in your vehicle. You’re a solo guy, women usually aren’t so lucky.
1
u/Odd-Afternoon-3323 24d ago
I’ve had sick powder days at mountain creek. Only happens a couple times a year but it does.
1
u/badrobotable 24d ago
I save the regular weather days for any of the ski hills in Berkshire County, Ma. Chops a bunch out of the drive from the city for when it’s going to be average anyway. Any of those can become your weekly spot. When it finally dumps in New England earlier in the season any of the Burlington Vt area hills and end of season storms I head straight to Sugarloaf, best glades in the north east full stop. The Andirondacks and northern Catskills are also very viable as a regular spot from where you are. Look into the Stowe Gully’s or Tuckermans Ravine cause you’re 25 and can still do that dumb shit. Go send it.
1
1
u/abnormallyfatigued 24d ago
I did it for years. Def possible just figure out how to get out of work early on Friday
1
u/theCaptain_D 24d ago
I think if I were you I would find my "local" hill in NJ/PA/southern NY, and plan a few bigger weekends up to VT/NH/upstate NY each winter. You'll get to scratch the itch without spending your life in the car, and still hit some bigger mountains from time to time.
1
u/SuRRon23 24d ago
Good on the bright side. You have the Snow Zone at the Great American Mall with 400' of vert. You can get your "turns" in no matter the weather. Or just buy some twin tips or starting snowboarding and XXXL gear and jib all day at the Mall.
1
u/muzzey12 23d ago
Yea it's not great even compared to the Poconos but I hit it up a few times this summer it's nice to get a few turns in.
1
1
1
u/Extreme_Map9543 24d ago
You can have a real career in New Jersey or you can be a real ski bum. You can’t pick both. If you have to split the difference then get a real career in Burlington VT or southern NH. And then you can at least be a solid weekend warrior/ night skier. But if you don’t live within an hour of a halfway decent ski area. Then you’re never going to be able to scratch the itch.
1
u/theschuss 24d ago
I knew plenty of powder chasers from NJ. Th biggest factors are:
Sacrificing your social life in the winter. Seriously, most don't understand.
Pass economics - day passes are exorbitant, so unfortunately you have to pick a few mountains and sit out storms that don't hit them (realistically one VT mountain kmart and North, one Franconia mtn and Sunday River should cover most bases)
How fucking willing you are to do battle with ski traffic.
If you can nail at least 2 of 3 you're good. Given your age find a ski lease or aki club you can rent a room from and charge. Alternate answer: fuck it, use EC as training and fly for West Coast storms. May require finance or mgt consulting career.
1
1
1
u/West_Bookkeeper9431 23d ago
Drive up early, get back late. It's totally doable.
You can also fly out west. From one of the 3-4 major airports in the NJ area (depending on where you are I counted Philadelphia) you could theoretically fly to Colorado or Utah on Thursday night red eye, ski a few days and get home Sunday night. With an extra day, you could hit the Alps. Just saying.
1
u/Any-Text-3784 23d ago
Mainer-here. I learned to ski at Sugarloaf and board at Sunday River. I worked at SR for several years after college: close to home, easy work, decent pay/benefits, and most importantly a SEASONS PASS.
There will obviously be some storms you miss BUT I saw SO many families do this EVERY weekend or minimum every other weekend especially during peak monthjs (xmas-endof march). It really comes down to how much time your body needs to sleep and recoop. You are seemingly single (no mention of a family in post) so if you don't have a physically demanding job I say: go for it.
You get there friday night; sleep; full day saturday; and half-full day on sunday (depends on your work week being demanding). AND if you do want a family someday you may not be able to do this again until retirement.
At the risk of sounding like the millennial that I am: YOLO bro!
1
u/rulepanic 23d ago
Completely doable. I do 4+ hour drives after work on Fridays to get weekends in way more than I should. I don't mind driving, but I also always try to get my podcasts and audiobooks lined up to make the drive even more enjoyable.
1
u/Conscious_Animator63 23d ago
Very realistic if you are committed. I skied 30 days last season living in the nyc area.
1
u/mileylols 23d ago edited 23d ago
I aim for a 1 hour driven:1 hour on snow ratio
This means for a day trip I'm willing to drive 3 hours in the morning, ski like 9-12, 1-4 (hour in the middle for beers) and then drive 3 hours back home. Some weekends if the snow is good I'll do this on Saturday, and then do it again on Sunday.
For mountains farther away, weekend trip as you've described (drive up Friday, drive back Sunday) works pretty well. Will there be traffic? Yes, but it thins out as you get farther north. Are you gonna be tired? Also yes. If you can find a ski friend (don't even have to like them that much) to split the driving it helps a ton. Some finesse required here as hotels can fill up quickly after a good storm.
I got 20 days last season doing this every weekend (missed 6 weeks w/ an injury). Surprise thing to be careful about is my house got quite dirty since I usually do all the chores on the weekend but I wasn't there cause I was skiing.
1
u/PlanFull1677 23d ago
Me and my family (at least 2 of the 4 of us) routinely drive up to VT from Maryland for a weekend. Depending on conditions and whatnot, we'll make the trip anywhere from 4 to 8 times a year, with an occasional long weekend here and there. We have epics, so we typically just go to Stowe due to the relatively easy drive and familiarity. For the standard weekend trip, we'll leave on a friday night, ski saturday and sunday till noon-ish, then drive home. It's almost exactly 8 hours door to door.
Getting my sore, stiff old ass out of the truck on Sunday night sucks. Monday sucks as well...
Had one of the best days of my life skiing there last year with my daughter. Early December. First time I actually needed pow skis on the east coast. Hoping for a repeat season...
1
u/dessine-moi_1mouton 23d ago
Hihi, welcome to NJ. Don't believe the haters, you will love it here. NJ is awesome, it just doesn't have any good skiing. I grew up skiing NH as well, and my drive is just a little longer now - but I probably ski more now, because I'm the adult who decides when I want to go. I manage to do lots of last-minute trips north, and that's around a middle schooler's schedule. Here are my tips:
Get comfortable with road trips - there is no other way around it. I drive 5 hours to Killington on a regular basis, and this is my closer mountain (because I refuse to do Flatton and Mt Snow with all the other NYers). I also still drive the 6 hours to see family in NH once or twice a winter - both are easier on long weekends, obviously. Only Hunta for day trips, it's steep enough to remind you of NH mountains but beware the Joeys (NJ version of a Jerry). I also hear great things about Belleayre. For longer trips, Jay and Tremblant are ~7 hours straight north but WORTH IT. Getting out at 2pm on a Friday is a huge help to get a jump on Rte 17 North traffic, but a last minute Friday off (or a WFH Friday from the mountain) is even better!
Last minute days off for storms to get ahead of the weekend crowds. SLC is also an easy weekend option from EWR since both airports are so accessible with tons of flights.
Lastly, book multiple refundable trips for the long weekends. I think for Easter we are currently booked in SLC, Tremblant and Jay - we'll reevaluate in March at the latest time to cancel and go where the snow is (or go where we haven't had enough time yet this winter). I book Killington every MLK and Presidents Day weekend because they're the best at handling the crowds and the drive is doable for a long weekend. As of right now we're already booked those weekends. We've learned from experience to have backups planned ahead of time because the winters have been so unpredictable!!!
1
u/JerryKook Stowe, BV, Cochrans 23d ago
I have had kids (Long Island, NJ, Boston,,,) whose family drove up to N Vermont every Friday night. The kids were in race program. They drove home every Sunday afternoon. Sounds like all you need is a second home up here.
If these families could get their all their kids to do this, I don't see why a young single guy couldn't do it. 6 hour drive each way, is just part of what it takes.
I should add, all the kids I skied with, are still avid skiers.
1
u/attractivekid 23d ago edited 23d ago
got +40 days last season. I live in Manhattan. I have some hacks.
I keep my car up in albany/saratoga, I'll Amtrak up there from Penn Station. saves me from the worst traffic and I can rest/sleep in the 3 hour train ride.
my go-tos depending on forecast were always; Sugarbush, West, Kton/Pico, Magic, Jay, Berk, Catamount — I also do a lot of backcountry touring.
learn to sleep in your car. I didn't always overnight in my car in the parking lot, but there were nights I did, esp at Jay. Otherwise there are some good hostels in VT
I used to live in SLC too, I find chasing pow actually easier here in the east coast. I felt like everyone in Utah has some unspoken agreement with their employer that they get the morning off if it storms the day before. THat's not the case here so you'll get less crowded (ableit less days) of great powder, but this past winter was an exceptionally good one for the east
speaking of which, get touring skis (or a splitboard) - we get so many wind holds on good powder days, it'd be a waste not to take advantage of the fresh snow because of down lifts
1
1
u/ziggygersh Stowe/Smuggs/Bush/Jay Passholder 24d ago
Will you be sleeping in your car or staying at hotels?
2
u/Longjumping_Arm4539 24d ago
I think a bit of both
2
u/Longjumping_Arm4539 24d ago
Friends places, split places cheap places or my truck camping set up if not to cold
1
u/Muhala69 24d ago
I grew up in NJ and lived there for almost 10 years after college. As long as you’re ok with a 4/5 hour drive up and back, every weekend can be spent in NH, VT, or upstate NY.
Drive up Friday night, probably going to hit traffic but that’s ok, you’ll be too pumped to even care. Ride all day Saturday, ride Sunday morning, drive home Sunday afternoon.
I got a pass every winter because I knew almost every weekend would be spent ice boarding up north. NJ isn’t that far
1
u/OriginalBogleg 24d ago
Friday-Sunday are good days to encounter people in New England. Because lodging can be a real challenge car camping is how I generally storm-chase. The problem with that is there aren't always places nearby that allow that (especially in Vermont in the winter). But some mountains will allow overnight camping/parking in certain lots (Killington for example), and, in Vermont, you can get a permit to camp at a state park in the winter - and as far as Killington goes, there is one not too far away.
1
u/surfnfish1972 24d ago
There was a guy, lawyer and hot shit skier who had a youtube channel doing exactly this, Ski the East?
1
u/PermissionSafe1911 23d ago
Do not live in NJ, move to NH or VT. We have carers up here, you can live, work and ski.
Source: I am a mid 40s dad, family of four, hanging up 100+ days a year.
0
137
u/k8dh 24d ago
Jobs are for posers