How far do you drive?

[eddie]

...too far

About 10 hours from the Pittsburgh, PA area to Lake Placid. I usually make the trip 3 times per year because I am an addict.

 

[Mac]

How far do I drive

About 11 hours (each way).

My Saturn uses 3 tanks plus ($40 Cdn x 3) from Nova Scotia and return.

 

[Mike P.]

From SE CT to Franconia about 3 2/3 to C-Notch right about 4 hours
Depending on where in the Catskills between 3 & 4 hours
Can get to Chapel pond in just about 4 hours

The last couple of years I've been trying to plan business trips in general area & put in for some of the mileage, Wednesday mileage paid from CT to Augusta, I'm on the hook for Augusta to CVR. & I have to be on the road/working/hiking/road from about 4:00 AM to midnight or so to do it all but sleep is over rated as anyone with kids can attest to.

 

[WhiteMTHike]

It depends where I'm going to hike. In my home state of R.I. we don't have that many trails and as you all know we're the smallest so... not far at all. However, I only use R.I. trails (along with the gym) to keep in hiking shape for the WMNF trails. It's unfortunate for me that it means a three-hour drive. That's why I don't get to the Whites as often as I like.

 

[twigeater]

western Maine ~2 hours
northern Maine ~3-4 hours (unless I'm headed to Fort Kent!)
eastern Maine ~2-3 hours or more, depending on how far east I'm going.
southern Maine ~why bother!


PS - on a fugowe tour, I could be driving all day!

 

[Jkrew81]

Cruise Control

Takes me about 3 hour from Maynard MA to get to the Pres's. I take the whole way on cruise control at 60-65 mph (and slower if possible) and I get 38 MPG (driving as gently as possible) in my 05' pontiac vibe. TAKE THAT SUV OWNERS. Just remember that a car reaches its maximum efficiency between 50-60MPH, and it makes a huge difference when you use cruise control. I also go without AC (not lately though) and windows up when humanly possible. I know it sounds crazy, but I still like to make hiking a cheap weekend.

 

[Gris]

00:25 to the airport

approx 4:00 hrs of fly'n (RT ticket is $115)

1:40 fr MHT airport to Franconia Notch

it's worth it...

 

[ADK4Life]

Gris you could probably be in Flagstaff,Arizona with that kind of flying time

 

[Sleeping Giant]

650 miles round trip from Westport CT to Gorham.

In a Honda Accord, about 42 mpg.

So my forays up north are infrequent - the rest of the time I make do with loops and bushwhacks in CT and sometimes the Catskills.

About once a year I do this mileage as a day trip. Leave at 1 AM, on the trail around 6 AM, back at the car by 6 PM, and home before midnight. Just goes to show that idiocy is not the domain of the young.

 

[jfb]

4 miles to the AT/LT

15 minutes to Mt. Greylock

3 1/2 hrs. to Keene Valley

4 hrs. to Appalachia

2 1/2 hrs. to the Gunks

None of the distances have changed because of the price of gas.

With good hiking nearby, I don't have much reason to travel long distances to go hiking although I enjoy a few trips every year to other parts of New England. I find the time it takes to drive back and forth to be more of a burden than the cost of gas.

 

[KenC]

For the Whites any where from 3.3 to 5 hours depending on where in the Whites. Locally the Berkshires are 1-2 hours depending on just where.

This past year was a "low milage" hiking year with work, but as the cooler weather approaches, projects completed, the miles will pile back on. Most trips are overnight or multiday now.

 

[Gris]

Gris you could probably be in Flagstaff,Arizona with that kind of flying time

Hey ADK4life -

Naw, 'cause then i'd have to drive 2:35 to Orlando (which BTW cuts it to a 2:45 flight to MHT) and from there it's still 4:00 to Albuquerque, NM and even longer to AZ.

Actaully, I did fly to Albuquerque a few times (in the winter) when i had a friend living in S. Fe but then she moved...

And, since i'm not a peakbagger per se, it's all about the people to me - getting together w/ good friends, which i still have a few of in New England...

 

[Warren]

Catskills in three hours or so.
ADK HPs (Keene Valley exit) is about 5 hours.
White are about 7.

NYC traffic can add up to 2 hours to those times. A particular trailhead location can add time and a blessed few will save time (Lincoln Woods is such a great trailhead......).

 

[snowshoe]

I am more of a local hiker. I hate driving far. For me the farthest I go is to the Catskills 1-1.5 hours,
the gunks 45min-1.0 hour
I do the bulk of my hiking in the Kittatinny's, NJ Highlands and Poconos. I can be on the AT in a couple minutes. I live 5 minutes away to over 100,000 acres of State and National parks.
I love big mountains but as long as I get out in the woods and have a climb with an elevation gain of over 1000ft I am happy. I also drive over 1.5 hours to work one way each day. Once I am able to transfer closer to home I will start heading to the Cats more.

 

[coldmountain]

driving and crying

In NH I can make Franconia Notch in 1 hour. Crawfords in 1 1/2. Pinkham 2. I live at the corner of 93&89 so Vermont is about an hour away as well. Maine is 3-4 depending.
In recent years I have travelled to New York and done some great climbing out there. But this summers spike in gas has me hesitant. In the past Ive gone 89 to 4 to 7 to Crown Point and 87. It takes me 4 1/2 - 5 hours that way. I wonder if its faster(even though its longer) to just head south and pick up the mass pike at Worcester? Would tolls offset any gas savings?

 

[Mad Townie]

western Maine ~2 hours
northern Maine ~3-4 hours (unless I'm headed to Fort Kent!)
eastern Maine ~2-3 hours or more, depending on how far east I'm going.
southern Maine ~why bother!

Gee, Twigs, don't you know that even Bangor is in SOUTHERN Maine?!?!? The halfway mark is somewhere around Milo.


That's a little north of the Bigelows for those who are wondering.

 

[twigeater]

pfffffft! picky, picky....
(but just for the record, I don't hang out near Bangor-'cept Dysarts! )

I'm just bucking for red squares ya know!

 

[CatskillsYeti]

For me, 2-3 hours to the Cats, 5 to the ADKs. I usually go solo, so it will hurt more this fall, but I have no intention of cutting back. Other things will go first.

 

[Jean]

Dacks: 2:30 hrs
Catskills: 5 hrs
Franconia: 3:00 hrs
Pinkham: 3:30 hrs
Rangeley: 3:30 hrs
Baxter: 7.5 hrs

Gas really has not slowed me down yet but I'm seriously hoping a battery powered version of my Element is available by the time I change this one.

 

[Puma concolor]

Catskills: 1-2 hours
Dacks: 2-2.5 hours
Green Mountains : 1-4 hours (it's a long state)
Whites: About 4 hours
Rangley-Stratton: 7 hours
Iowa: A looong way.

Fortunately, I did most of my major NE peakbagging when gas was like a buck a gallon. Gas prices are one of many factors for a reduced amount of dayhiking for me these days. I've pretty much sold the farm so that I can pursue highpointing (2 multi-day trips per year).