I like saving money when heading to the airport, but have never had the balls/been to lazy to actually take my skis, boot bag, and luggage on the metro. I usually take a taxi. 

I have to fly out of Dulles for a ski trip to mammoth at the end of december, and I really like Washington Flyer's Silver Line Express Bus ($10 round trip from the Reston metro stop). So was thinking of playing out what me on the metro with my SportsTube ski "tube"/bag, a boot bag attached to it, my laptop bag, and one normal luggage bag for everything else - would look like :D. 

Anyone ever done this? 

Would they even let me through the gate with my massive ski tube? 

That would merit a photo...

I took skis on the NYC subway once.  It was a world class P.I.T.A. but it was certainly permissable.  I don't think subways have baggage limits!

Did it once, must have been 20 years ago.  A couple buddies and I were returning from Wisp and drove into an ice storm up around Frederick.  It was scary as hell.  Scary enough that we made our way to Shady Grove with great care and metroed to one guys house in Alexandria where we spent the night.  No luggage as such, just day packs, boots and skis not bagged.  We got some questions and funny looks.  

Denis wrote:

Did it once, must have been 20 years ago.  A couple buddies and I were returning from Wisp and drove into an ice storm up around Frederick.  It was scary as hell.  Scary enough that we made our way to Shady Grove with great care and metroed to one guys house in Alexandria where we spent the night.  No luggage as such, just day packs, boots and skis not bagged.  We got some questions and funny looks.  

Yea, my new plan is just to park at my dads place for a week in Tysons, and he'll either give me a ride or ill take a much shorter metro ride from Tysons to Reston, and then hop on the silver line. Saves me parking or taxi cost. 

I called wmta and was told it is ok to bring skis snowboards. Must use back or front door. Try to avoid the most crowded times. Same for luggage.  

Can you imagine carrying all you mention and getting to a station where escalator and elevator are inoperable!

Can you imagine carrying all you mention and getting to a station where escalator and elevator are inoperable!

I notice some on DC subway with a Rolling Luggage, A big backpack and a Big bag in hand. it can be done. Kinda like when my daughter was little, two trips to the car and back :o)

Done it multiple times, including on the DC Metro, NYC subway, and NJ PATH.  Not the absolute best experience, but not the worst either.  Most of these were fairly short trips (4 days), where I packed in a carry-on, boot bag, and ski bag (wrap the skis in clothes like base layers and fleece). 

My boot bag has backpack straps, my carry-on has wheels (and backpack straps if needed), and my ski bag has wheels.  The main issue is that on some of those trips I took two pairs (a normal pair and a fat pair if we got dumped on).  While I have a double-ski bag, it gets pretty heavy when fully loaded up. 

Wouldn't hesitate to do it again, although you do get some funny looks.  I've seen plenty of surfboards on the NYC subway, though.

Definitely done this to Reagan with a snowboard at least once in the past couple years.  Though I'm pretty sure I've done it a handful of times.  It's very doable and not something that I would consider exceptional.  Usually get questions about what's in the bag.  Someone though it was a cello or some other kind of large instrument.

Not sure if this will work but this is from Snowmaggedon 2010.  I took the metro from Capitol South to Woodley Park to snowboard down the hill off of Calvert St.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=573512788813&l=342914c794

Ended up having 8 days off from the storm.  I also got to snowboard on the U.S. Capitol grounds!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=573512818753&l=bcfd268a84