# What are some of your trip and travel tips or tricks?



## jhowell09 (Sep 28, 2013)

Have been thinking about this upcoming season and how to maximize time on the mountain/amount of fun we will have. 

I'm just curious to know what are some of your personal tips and tricks when it comes to traveling to the mountain.

It could be things relating to saving money (i.e. sleeping in your car :yahoo: ) or maximizing time on the mountain (i.e. wearing a camelbak for constant hydration)

I'm just curious to know each and ever possible trick out there for your weekend travels.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Not sure if it's a "trick" or not: But I go to costco at the beginning of the season and buy boxes of granola bars and sport drinks. They make good breakfasts and after boarding snacks. 

Also I usually take a bar and some beef jerky on the hill with me. The less time I spend sitting in the lodge, the better!

As for actually being on the hill, it's better to be there 15 mins early, park close, get on near first chair, and enjoy the hill while it's fresh. The alternative is showing up at 9:30, having to park in the nose bleeds, and having to wait in line for a chair to ride snow that somebody else already tracked.

Early bird gets the worm! :yahoo:


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Cooler full of beer for after the day is over. Must have item...


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## jhowell09 (Sep 28, 2013)

poutanen said:


> Early bird gets the worm! :yahoo:


Could not agree more!

Like the simple snack ideas too! Might have to hit up my local warehouse store...


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

I guess another tip for maximizing time on the snow has to do with gear:

1) Pick the goggles for the worst possible conditions you'll experience during the day. I've got some goggles that are great for bluebird days, but horrible in flat light. So most of the time I select my orange goggles when leaving the truck. 

2) Make sure all other accessories you need for the day are with you. My face mask is ALWAYS in my jacket pocket, in case it gets windy/chilly up top. If the weather is unusually cold I'll wear the cold weather jacket, otherwise it's the spring jacket all the time.

3) Tie your boots properly the first time. I'd say it's a bit of an art to get the right tightness in the parking lot, but the closer you get the less often you need to adjust. My fiancee is constantly adjusting her boots and it slows us down. Boots with easier adjustment would help here too.

4) If you have a quiver, pick one board to ride for the day, or pick two but bring them both to the bottom, and lock one up beside the lift. I'm not returning to my truck during the day, so if I want to swap to a park board it better be beside the lift waiting for me!


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## jhowell09 (Sep 28, 2013)

These are exactly what I'm looking for! Keep em coming guys!


PS as a newb to this forum, I have to say I really enjoy interacting with you guys! Glad I found this.


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## KansasNoob (Feb 24, 2013)

I like to return to the truck to have a tailgate lunch. But that's at wolf where it isn't far. We usually get the closest spot when we go too. Arrive early! That way you can get BOTH first chairs if you know what I mean!


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## jhowell09 (Sep 28, 2013)

KansasNoob said:


> I like to return to the truck to have a tailgate lunch. But that's at wolf where it isn't far. We usually get the closest spot when we go too.


Yeah one of the things I was planning on doing this year was getting a small portable grill and cooking out for our meals. 

Could even sell cheap hamburgers and hot dogs to fellow boarders in the parking lot!  :yahoo:


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## Jibfreak (Jul 16, 2009)

jhowell09 said:


> Yeah one of the things I was planning on doing this year was getting a small portable grill and cooking out for our meals.
> 
> Could even sell cheap hamburgers and hot dogs to fellow boarders in the parking lot!  :yahoo:


Or trade for lifes other precious necessities like beer and weed.

I always take a crunched up water bottle in my pocket.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

I bring a little camp stove sometimes, it heats up soup and chili really fast. This year my buddy is bringing a little crockpot to plug in somewhere. 

Cooler of beer is always good. 

Extra goggles. 

Fully charged phone, if there is no reception, switch to airplane mode and your batteries won't drain. I use mine as an mp3 player. If it is really cold, put a handwarmer packet in the same pocket as your phone and it will help the battery not get killed.

#1 and #2 screwdriver

sunblock


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## jhowell09 (Sep 28, 2013)

snowklinger said:


> If it is really cold, put a handwarmer packet in the same pocket as your phone and it will help the battery not get killed.


Good thinking!


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## Faru1004 (Jan 29, 2013)

if you are driving more then 3 hours then plan on staying there for the night. (from experience)


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Ride acyclic. Most humans are like sheep. They like to be in crowds  I love to ride during lunch time, when the crowds are queuing in the restaurant, I eat a energy bar and have the lifts to my own. My lunch break is after 2, when the crowds come back again. When they begin to gather for aprés ski, I'm done with lunch break and ride on empty slopes again. A thermos with hot sweet tea is always in the backpack to warm up in the cable cabin.


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## mojo maestro (Jan 6, 2009)

Don't sleep in your car with it running. Every winter someone goes to sleep and doesn't wake up.


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## mojo maestro (Jan 6, 2009)

killclimbz said:


> Cooler full of beer for during the day. Must have item...


Fixed it........


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## Mystery2many (Aug 14, 2013)

For my big trips to CO I book and pay for them months in advance. I pick a date and confirm it with my group then book hotel and collect money. Then next month I buy plane tickets. Then I rent the car. Oh and mid summer I buy a season pass to the places I will ride enough for it to actually save me money. So after all that when it's time for the trip, it's already paid for and feels free! :yahoo:

And the small portable boot and glove dryers are a hidden gem. Plus like 5 pairs of snowboard socks.


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## jhowell09 (Sep 28, 2013)

Faru1004 said:


> if you are driving more then 3 hours then plan on staying there for the night. (from experience)


I will be generally traveling 2.5 hours but luckily, I have a palce to stay thats only 20-30 minutes away once I get there. Life saver!



neni said:


> Ride acyclic. Most humans are like sheep. They like to be in crowds  I love to ride during lunch time, when the crowds are queuing in the restaurant, I eat a energy bar and have the lifts to my own. My lunch break is after 2, when the crowds come back again. When they begin to gather for aprés ski, I'm done with lunch break and ride on empty slopes again.


Simple + Brilliant



Mystery2many said:


> Plus like 5 pairs of snowboard socks.


This is practically a necessity. :bowdown:


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

I moved to the mtns for my vacation plan. It's cheaper. Now I live on vacation


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## jhowell09 (Sep 28, 2013)

Argo said:


> I moved to the mtns for my vacation plan. It's cheaper. Now I live on vacation


One day....


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## Epic (Apr 13, 2013)

Mystery2many said:


> For my big trips to CO I book and pay for them months in advance. I pick a date and confirm it with my group then book hotel and collect money. Then next month I buy plane tickets. Then I rent the car. Oh and mid summer I buy a season pass to the places I will ride enough for it to actually save me money. So after all that when it's time for the trip, it's already paid for and feels free!


+1. You can save at least 30% on rooms by booking before November. I've also been piecing together my gear needs over the summer and it is ridiculously cheaper than buying in season.


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## jhowell09 (Sep 28, 2013)

Epic said:


> I've also been piecing together my gear needs over the summer and it is ridiculously cheaper than buying in season.


Yup +100 for this. That's what I've been doing all summer. Have been browsing seshday and theclymb for crazy deals as well. If anyone needs a friend referral, both websites offer discounts. PM me for an email :laugh:


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

pee and poop before you get on the chair in the am. take sips of h20 on the chair...ur blowing through water...thus very little pee. Carb load the night before, just hydrate in the am...thus not burning energy digesting a heavy breakfast and able to fuck the gnar in the am. Have a lightish burrito lunch in plastic wrap in your pocket, eat on the chair up...or better yet just nibble on dried fruit and nuts and h2o all day and after last chair...beer and burgers. and if u get tired...take little power naps on the chair


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## tanscrazydaisy (Mar 11, 2013)

How To Do a Really Cheap Ski Trip - EpicSki Community


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## modusoperandi (Sep 26, 2013)

Get one of these battery chargers:

Anker® Astro 3E 10000mAh Portable Charger

Makes it actually possible to use GPS enabled snow apps, use your phone as a camera, use your phone to find friends, and listen to music all day long. I have the charging cable running inside my outer coat into a pocket in my hoodie where the battery is. I barely notice it's there.


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## ridinbend (Aug 2, 2012)

Get a job at a hospital and work nights. Three 12's a week = 7 days of riding!

Best trick to get to the mt on time....... Avoid ice.


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## jhowell09 (Sep 28, 2013)

tanscrazydaisy said:


> How To Do a Really Cheap Ski Trip - EpicSki Community


Thanks for the find!



modusoperandi said:


> Get one of these battery chargers:
> 
> Anker® Astro 3E 10000mAh Portable Charger


Will definitely be getting some sort of portable battery chargers for my iPhone. Will probably use my phone for GPS tracking + music (probably going to get some sort of audio-helmet). 



ridinbend said:


> Get a job at a hospital and work nights. Three 12's a week = 7 days of riding!


Thats actually pretty brilliant haha. Those would be some lonnnnnggggg days/nights!


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## jhowell09 (Sep 28, 2013)

Finally ordered my Camelbak (Got a Zoid on eBay for real cheap, going to give it a good scrub down). So that will be pretty nice on the hill.

What else am I not thinking of out there?


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

I usually do day-pow-trips, not much interested in groomers.
Buy your gear in summer, and wax your board(s) the night before. Check binding screws and straps.
Leave early, with all your gear in order, so you can be in line for first chair.
Little water and some power bars. and other personal "amenities" ;-)
ride until your legs melt.


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

travel/ride light...i put my cardoor key on it's own ring so as to not have all those keys..couple bucks floating in a pocket no wallet. ipod. coffee in the morn, occasional afternoon beerbreak. for me any food makes me feel sluggish..no water, snacks, any of that. _medicine_., thats it. 

car camping can be great,i love waking up in the parking lot. if you are going somewhere several days just get a room for the last night, or not at all. 

Baker parking lot last Feb:









try not not to buy anything on the mountain except a lift ticket (back in the day before scanners you didn't even need one of those, lol)


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## surfinsnow (Feb 4, 2010)

jhowell09 said:


> Have been thinking about this upcoming season and how to maximize time on the mountain/amount of fun we will have.
> 
> I'm just curious to know what are some of your personal tips and tricks when it comes to traveling to the mountain.
> 
> ...


Sorry, I haven't read through the three pages of responses yet, but here's mine...GET A SKI CLUB MEMBERSHIP! Swallow some pride, skulk in and sign up. We join the CT Ski Council for $35 a year...it pays for itself THE FIRST TRIP TO THE MOUNTAIN. I'm not kidding. EVERY lift ticket is at least half off, some are even more than half off. I haven't paid for a full-price lift ticket in thirteen years.

The caveat, our ski council pre-arranges a calendar with the mountains in VT, NH and Maine. Every major mountain has a deal every weekend, even on blackout weekends.

Best kept secret in New England...they don't even care if you live in CT. Lots of my Masshole friends have signed up, too.


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## mhaas (Nov 25, 2007)

leave a spare pair of gloves and a hat in your vehicle. Ive forgotten mine a few times and its a major bummer. And if you don't have extras with you, the lost and found box is your friend.


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

check the local Costco for lift tix...here you can get 2 for 100$ instead of 72 each


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## herzogone (Oct 19, 2010)

A lot of these are similar to what others have said, but here are mine:


I hate to carry too much stuff so I try to stick to the necessities. I have a metal, waterproof wallet that I just carry cash, ID, and a credit card in. I carry just my car key (leave the rest in the car), and a small lock for my board.
I like to save my phone battery by either shutting it off or putting it in airplane mode.
For music, I use a cheap rechargeable MP3 player (old Creative Zen Stone) with a physical play/pause button that I can actually work with my mitts on inside my jacket pocket. Battery lasts for days.
As others have mentioned, avoiding buying food on the hill saves a lot of money, and eating at odd hours saves a lot of crowds and time.
While staying overnight on the hill is usually more expensive, it's sometimes worth checking out the options. I once actually found it cheaper to stay slopeside since it included lift tickets, which more than made up for the price difference from surrounding places that didn't offer them.
Finally, if you have kids around 5th or 6th grade, many states offer 5th or 6th grade "passports" that often have crazy deals for kids that age in an effort to get more kids on the snow.


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## tdn (Dec 30, 2010)

Buy a pocket flask. It'll save you money on whiskey and you don't have to go indoors to keep your buzz going.


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## tony10 (Jun 15, 2013)

Argo said:


> I moved to the mtns for my vacation plan. It's cheaper. *Now I live on vacation*


Beautiful.


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## XxSnowbunnyxX (Jan 8, 2013)

Well my fiance and I do go snowboarding on the weekends in the winter, but also on a couple weeknights after work. 

On the weekends we don't really need to take advantage of extra time on the mountain cuz we can go at any time (40 min away), but for the weeknights, so that we can get as much time in as possible, this is what we do (because the mountain is 30 min from my work and it closes around 9pm):

He gets out of work around 3pm, goes home, showers (he has a dirty job), then takes off for the mountain and meets there with a friend of ours. I work till 5pm and I take a bag of all my gear etc and my snowboard with me and keep the snowboard in the car obviously and my bag of gear under my desk. Around 4:50pm I sneak off to the bathroom to change and am done by 5pm and head out the door to the mountain! 

We SHOULD bring our own food to save money and time, but the lines aren't bad at the mountain at all for food (Washusett Mountain in Massachusetts). We grab a bite to eat there for dinner. 

So I guess that's the only thing we do to get as much time as we can on the mountain. Go on weeknights after work as well as weekends and bring my gear to work, so that I arrive ready. I put my boots on once I park at the mountain tho cuz I mean.... driving in those? No thanks.


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## areveruz (Jul 10, 2012)

XxSnowbunnyxX said:


> I put my boots on once I park at the mountain tho cuz I mean.... driving in those? No thanks.


I always drive in mine on the way. :dunno:


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## LuckyRVA (Jan 18, 2011)

areveruz said:


> I always drive in mine on the way. :dunno:


I've done this before as well. Just keep your laces undone and tucked into your boot and it works fine.


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## Casual (Feb 9, 2011)

areveruz said:


> I always drive in mine on the way. :dunno:


Same haha, been doing this for years. I just hate waiting for everyone else to put them on in the parking lot when we get there...

- I have a few spare keys cut for my car door. I leave my real keys in my car because it's the sensor kind that cost like $100 to replace. I take one and give a riding buddy or wife the other just in case.

- Stash valueables in the engine of your car. Last year I kept my $5000 camera in my engine compartment, even if somebody broke into my car there is no way they are checking there lol.

- Use sites like Hotels.com to book rooms. I have booked rooms on my phone while in the lobby and paid like $120 when the guy at the desk wanted $210.

- Go to the "continental breakfast" at your hotel with your backback and stock up on fruit, muffins and whatever else looks good and eat that all day long at the hill.

- Buy reward cards or memberships that give you discounts. I buy a local pass for a hill close by and ride the park there, it's like $270. Not only do I ride there once a week but when I go to the mountains I get 25% off lift tix when I show it for me and another person. Thats $40 per day so it doesn't take long to pay for the pass and I ride whenever I want close to home.


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