Well, of course this website can help a lot for scouting out ski area choices and related logistical info.  If she is going to be a fairly frequent skier (10+ days) then it may pay to look at the Epic Pass in the future as several of the closest mtns to DC (1.5-2 hrs drive) are on that pass (Whitetail, Liberty, Roundtop).  Three more on it that are 3 hrs drive (Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, Laurel Mtn).

The Indy pass might also be a good option to ski at Blue Knob 3 hrs, Bryce 2 hrs, Massanutten 2.5 hrs, Canaan Valley and White Grass (nordic) 3 hrs.

If no pass and just want to ski random day then Bryce and Canaan are the two cheapest or night skiing at Whitetail or Liberty might be good for that too.

There used to be a great ski shop in DC called Ski Center, but it closed about five years ago.  There are a variety in the VA and MD suburbs.  Alpine Ski Shops, two locations, Fairfax and Sterling VA are solid and have been around for a long time.

 Wow! That is so excellent the GU area so so close to Penn Square, and a little reach to Dupont Circle/Adams Morgan as well as Eastern Market. my fave places. Problem is highway access to Liberty, Whitetail, etc she'll need to hit 495 to 270 to get to 15 I guess 29 north will be the best option when you are deep inside the beltway. Traffic will be a bitch on weekdays starting at 3:00 PM but on weekends if you hit it early there should be no problem.

pagamony wrote:

My daughter is now all graduated and working and lives in DC.  Next week she is taking her boots and bindings back with her.  She lives in NE near Gaulidet and is going to be in need of a local ski shop and day/night mountain. We can obviously look things up but wondering what the locals would say?  Oh yeah, she is a young professional paying huge rent and parking tickets, so she needs to be cheap!!

To be honest, the best thing she could do is join a club of city folk that push each other to go skiing. Otherwise she will fall into the same trap that many younger professionals do when they enter city life, get sucked into working morning/noon/night, maybe going out to local events and happy hours,, not leaving much time for things like laundry, shopping for food, making food etc.  I took a 20 year hiatus not because I didnt have the will but I just didnt really like going by myself and could never find anyone that wanted to go.  I was pushed to do other things with work mates to get in good with the company or just to have some paid for entertainment.  I finally after almost 20 years started pushing myself to go, and would leave work early at 4 , drive 2 hours to ski.   I still managed to do all the work events for the most part but I did need to learn to say no, and did my best to align with people that had interests outside of work.  It's tough though, as it's very competitive.  When you see your coworkers coming in at 7 and leaving at 7, even coming in on Saturdays or Sundays.  

So the best advice is to ski anywhere, get gear anywhere, but just push to get out there a couple of times each month at a minimum. 

That's a great point and hoping she can work that out.  I think a lot of us that are not in the industry take a break, mine was probably only 15 years, but I have never skied alot.  

Grumpy dad wrote:

To be honest, the best thing she could do is join a club of city folk that push each other to go skiing. Otherwise she will fall into the same trap that many younger professionals do when they enter city life, get sucked into working morning/noon/night, maybe going out to local events and happy hours,, not leaving much time for things like laundry, shopping for food, making food etc.  I took a 20 year hiatus not because I didnt have the will but I just didnt really like going by myself and could never find anyone that wanted to go.  I was pushed to do other things with work mates to get in good with the company or just to have some paid for entertainment.  I finally after almost 20 years started pushing myself to go, and would leave work early at 4 , drive 2 hours to ski.   I still managed to do all the work events for the most part but I did need to learn to say no, and did my best to align with people that had interests outside of work.  It's tough though, as it's very competitive.  When you see your coworkers coming in at 7 and leaving at 7, even coming in on Saturdays or Sundays.  

So the best advice is to ski anywhere, get gear anywhere, but just push to get out there a couple of times each month at a minimum. 

pagamony wrote:

Thanks all.  Jim Kenney  -- she has actually been to Timberline the first year of the resurrection where we had great snow.  She goes up to Silver Springs 1 or 2 days a week for work, but I expect she would go into to Northern Virginia for a shop, idk, right now I am still the shop, swapped out her bindings this weekend, but I expect that to change.  We might work out a meeting at Mnut.   Crush -- she really likes those places also, and it's a good reason for us to visit. 

 With the new Peak lift at Mnut, may well be worth the drive if staying overnight is possible.  Remember that all the trails are lit and the night ticket starts at 4pm.  If she has any flexibility and could get out of DC by 2pm on a Friday, would be ahead of the traffic heating west on I-66.  Note that there is no reason to follow a GFS suggestion of driving US340 from Front Royal.  Stay on I-66 to I-81 to US33.

I'll be at Mnut for MLK and Pres. Day weekends with friends with kids.  Also going Feb. 9-11 during the first-ever SkiSoutheast Summit hosted by Mnut.