So it looks like I will need to be in DC for meetings midweek during the last week on January. I was thinking that I would bring my skis and check out Whitetail for some night skiing. Meetings are in the Federal Triangle, so I figured I would metro back to my hotel in Rosslyn and then drive out to Whitetail from there. How long would this realistically take, given Beltway traffic?

Isn't Liberty the night skiing location from DC?  At least that's where my friends who live in DC go who have Showtime season passes.

wgo wrote:

So it looks like I will need to be in DC for meetings midweek during the last week on January. I was thinking that I would bring my skis and check out Whitetail for some night skiing. Meetings are in the Federal Triangle, so I figured I would metro back to my hotel in Rosslyn and then drive out to Whitetail from there. How long would this realistically take, given Beltway traffic?

In light traffic Ros-Whitetail is about 80 minutes.  In evening rush it might be 2 hours.  Makes a big difference if you can get away by about 3pm, but in truth the evening rush starts building even an hour before that.  I'd still say it's worth it, just put yourself in a mellow mood, because the traffic has a mind of it's own.

wgo wrote:

So it looks like I will need to be in DC for meetings midweek during the last week on January. I was thinking that I would bring my skis and check out Whitetail for some night skiing. Meetings are in the Federal Triangle, so I figured I would metro back to my hotel in Rosslyn and then drive out to Whitetail from there. How long would this realistically take, given Beltway traffic?

Ski Capitol Hill. You might make the news.

marzNC wrote:

Isn't Liberty the night skiing location from DC?  At least that's where my friends who live in DC go who have Showtime season passes.

Liberty and Whitetail are both open until 10 PM. Liberty is about 55-60 mins from the beltway and Whitetail is about 10-15 minutes further. I-270 can back up, but will be more predictable than the beltway I would say the 31 miles on 270 will probably take 50-60 minutes during rush hour. For both Liberty and Whitetail once you get 2 miles or so past the end of the I270/I70/US15 mess it will be free sailing.

As far as the skiing... they both have pros and cons. Whitetail has more vertical (935 ft) and the detachable lift, so is great for skiing laps. Whitetail is in a dry county... and has less variety than liberty. Liberty is smaller, but the trails have more variety IMO from the grooming to the way they are cut, and has a bar and several nice resturaunts as well as being a bit closer. (In alot of ways Liberty is simular to Silver Creek at Snowshoe). If you go to Liberty I would stay mainly on the Back Side as it is better snow and a nicer lift.

Depending on how early your meetings are and how much you really want to ski you could always drive out to one of the Red Line Metro stations (Rockville/Govenor Strathmore/Etc) and skip the belway in the afternoon. I will say I-270 North is pretty empty in the morning, and quite busy in the evenings. I don't usually do the beltway or metro during during rush hour, so that idea may be off base.  But I do know in college (UMD) we would try to leave by 3 at the latest. The night lift tickets are actually good from 4:30-10, so if you can get out by 3 it would be alot of skiing. I know the website says 5, but snowtime allows a 30 min buffer on all tix to get rentals, change, etc.

Your problem area will be 270, not the beltway.  If you're deadset on going to whitetail - and can't get out ahead of the 270 northbound rush (which can sometimes be really bad) - you should consider getting/bringing an ez pass and taking 66 to Dulles Toll Road, continue onto the Greenway to Leesburg, then take  7 and 9 to I-81.  Google maps will draw it up for you.

My take: If you can't get out of Rosslyn by 2:45, so you can clear 270 HOV rules which start at 3:30, don't even bother. Sorry to be pessimistic, but it's true. Experience learned from many years living in Alexandria. Rodney above points out a good alternative, but VA Route 9 is often a bumper to bumper two lane slog in its own right. I now live just south of it. If your departure is closer to 5, you won't make Whitetail on the snow until 7:30 at your luckiest; 8+ more likely. Last chair at 10.

Liberty may be closer, but the bottleneck of 270 remains the same. FWIW, I've also never skied Liberty. Despite having in my possession a pass permitting me as such for 13 seasons and counting. I'm okay with that. ;-)

Hope the early release works for you.

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Meeting schedule is still being finalized, hopefully it will work out.

John, I'd ski Capitol Hill but from what I remember cross-country skis may be more appropriate.

It's almost 75 miles exactly from the Beltway/I-270 interchange to Whitetail.

I'm curious how it works out for you, because now that my 9 y/o is learning, I'm wondering about Friday afternoon getaways up there. The old, work from home, pick him up from school and head straight up trip.

It's almost 75 miles exactly from the Beltway/I-270 interchange to Whitetail.

I'm curious how it works out for you, because now that my 9 y/o is learning, I'm wondering about Friday afternoon getaways up there. The old, work from home, pick him up from school and head straight up trip.

I used to work in Alexandria, VA.  I left one friday at 3pm heading to Seven Springs.  It took me almost 7 hours.  3.5 of which were spent on 270.  I really wish waze had existed back then.

I’ve skied Capitol Hill on XC skis.  It was before 9-11 and the Capitol police were very friendly and seemingly entertained.  I worked a mile away at NASA HQ.  Four of us made a plan and brought our skis to work, then walked there and skied.  

As to the Roslyn to PA ski areas after work, I wish I knew a reliable plan.  There isn’t any.  I don’t miss that commute at all.

i did enjoy many evening XC ski excursions on local golf courses after work.  I highly recommend it; an hour or 2 of quiet solitude in the winter air to refresh the soul.   It beats the heck out of that commute to PA.

My office is in Rosslyn. I bet that for any departure after 3pm, GW Pkwy to Dulles Toll Road to Greenway to 15N to Frederick, then 70 West is going to be faster than sitting in the hell that calls itself 270.  Still 2 hours or close to it.   But reliable.

The hatred for 270 is strong...

For what it is worth if I leave my office in Gaithersburg (exit 10 on 270) at 4 I can stop by my house north of Germantown (exit 16), change, grab skis and eat a snack and get on the snow at liberty around 5:45 most days. I’ll admit sometimes I’ll take 355 up to Urbana, maybe because I live up here and know the 270 alternatives but I have always thought 270 is a better experience than the beltway...