Posted on 12/17/2010 10:38:59 PM PST by rabscuttle385
The distance of your trip, coupled with the fact that you have to either cross the Rockies *and* the Sierras (or go around them) mean that you have no time for unplanned diversions or delays. IMO, you have a pretty tight schedule there.
That said:
You can run into snow anywhere from the Plains westward. You can run into snow on I-40 through ABQ and Flagstaff, you could take US-50 and have clear sailing, you could take I-80 and flip a coin. It is very difficult to tell these things as far out as five or six days. Storm predictions along the Rockies are hard to nail down even only three days out.
The best advice I can give you is avoid going across the Divide on I-80 through Wyoming. It is deservedly notorious for foul weather in winter... having driven it many times (sometimes with a loaded trailer behind me), it can be more “entertaining” than one might like about eight months out of the year.
The WX along US-50 is usually pretty dry. That’s why that area (from the CA/NV border east to Pueblo, CO) is high desert. They simply don’t get much precip along that area of the country. But there are huge stretches where there is no help for 10’s to 100+ miles if you break down on US-50. And there are many areas along US-50 with no cell coverage as well.
I’ve moved my trip further south, and I’ve truncated the itinerary at Phoenix. See map at post 33.
Do you have tire chains? Know how to use them? Only about 25mph maximum using chains. But then, being from PA you know all of this? Like--- Remove them when encountering dry pavement. Stop after putting them on and driving a small distance, to tighten, or re-tighten them, particularly until you get good at putting them on. And off. then back on. then off again. oh, happy trails! Up and down mountains in the West can be so much fun in the Winter, but there can be breaks in the weather when even if the road isn't exactly completely clear, then at least they can be traveled without having to chain up. But you will HAVE TO have them in the vehicle in Colorado.
Depending upon the weather, if you need to get to Phoenix from Denver, perhaps forget about the mountains of Southern Colorado(?) and just go South on I-25 to I-40 then West, or go through Albuquerque, all the way to I-10, and then West. The pass at the Colorado/New Mexico border can be snowed in too, even as it drops some elevation from Denver & Colorado Springs, to Albuquerque. The North wind just lo-ooves Raton Pass in the Winter.
When there is snow and ice at Gallup (not exactly on your route, but West of Albuquerque on I-40) many times it is frozen over, all the way to past (West of) Flagstaff. From Flagstaff to Phoenix on I-17 there are some fairly steep grades both down, then back uphill, before dropping down once again.
Keep an eye on the weather. If you don't know or enjoy snow driving, maybe don't. Even if you do know snow (you're from PA?) remember to budget your minimum needed driving time to DOUBLE normal, at least, while always thinking...could I live through the night spun out into the ditch on the side of the road right here?Prepare accordingly.
Use chains to get OUT of snow, instead of INTO snow, even though one can often enough do about 40 mph on level packed snow without chains. With chains, 25mph. 15-20mph many times better. No chains, on hard ice (not packed snow) 15mph MAX. period! 5-10mph is more like it!
In the Western States, rock is used more than salt. Beware rocks flying from trucks (tires). Truckers get cracked and pinged windshields from other trucks! How well are you going to make out???
Truckers usually figure 50mph when planning trips in the summertime, even when they can legally go much faster. A guy needs to stop and take a leak every once in a while. It takes some minutes, just to do that.
Do you use mile markers? It can be a quick cheat for old-fashioned paper map navigation. Mile numbers on the Interstates usually (almost always but with a few exceptions system wide) start in the West, and South, getting bigger going FROM those origins, smaller going those directions. For example, going across Kansas, from East to West on 1-70, the mile marker numbers will get smaller.
Stop at a truck stop (most any PILOT would do) and buy yourself a Motor Carrier's Atlas. $14.95-$15.95 at most any of them. For another $4.95 one can get a truck stop Pocket Guide which will give all truck stops open 24/7 for all Interstates keyed to mile markers on the various Interstates. Stops on state routes will be listed, but not under order of mm's, They will be listed as town or city, and then road number.
I don't necessarily recommend fueling or stopping at truck stops if you don't have to (one gets tired of them when driving truck) but they can be handy --- and if they are listed in the pocket guide, they'll be open 24/7 and will just about always offer gasoline along with diesel fuel. The food in truck stops is usually lousy, to be avoided, but I know how to find the good, or at least better ones. None of them were ever Pilot, if I properly recall...save in the very rare instance when there would be a real mom-and-pop type attached or nearby. Eat elsewhere, if you can.
Well if you are taking 10 through Texas’ san Antonio is on your list. So you see and later remember the alamo. Don’t forget to hit Buckees on your way to Houston. Best beaver nuggets. Also if you want to take a detour you can get off 10 and head up to Lockhart Tx for some of the best BBQ in the country.
No, I'm from VA. Two states south.
I've actually dropped Denver due to the excessive mountain driving, but I think I will be okay stopping in Santa Fe or Albuquerque and getting a rental car for a 1-2 day excursion (including travel time) up to Durango.
In the Western States, rock is used more than salt. Beware rocks flying from trucks (tires).
Thanks for the heads up. I just need to keep appropriate distance.
Do you use mile markers?
Extensively.
Looks like Rabs changed his itinerary, so he will miss all that. He doesn’t know what he’s missing.
Who says I can't change it again? Shucks, when I finally get out there, I'll probably still be making modifications as I go.
You may want to check with topographical map. And get a GPS locator. There is a lot of “dead zone” for cell phones.
I cannot tell from your map where you are starting from and ending at....I wouldn't try to cross the Rockys during winter, but then I wasn't crazy about crossing them in the summer. Any food that doesn't readily freeze. beef jerky, dry cereal etc in case you get stuck for a couple of days...
Don't know if they have small heaters that can be plugged into cigarette lighters if you have one in your car...
Will you be taking small kids with you? No babies in case of getting stuck....avalances sometimes close the interstates, but they are the best to travel on as they try to keep them open before other roads... Good luck and get yourself on the freepers prayer list....
The DC metro area.
I hope to God this FReeper is not taking any kids on this trip.
In winter when no one can predict weather at all?
One wrong turn in a snowstorm and you could be putting lives at risk, for a pleasure trip?
Remember a couple of years ago the SFran couple who drove up to Oregon and missread the map?
That didn’t turn out so well now did it.
Not trying to be a negative nanny, If you are going alone then have at it, your choice your life.
There are allot of good cautious advisors here.
Hope you take them seriously.
Other than the challenge why would you want to travel this far in such a small window of time?
You can’t be serious?
I have started working on an itinerary, and it looks like 11-12 days is really cutting things close, so I expanded the time frame up to 14 days plus two extra weekend days. I also am thinking of substituting air travel for certain far west parts of the trip (e.g., Albuquerque to Phoenix is $128/round trip via US Airways, including taxes) but maintaining road travel for other parts. Otherwise, I’m looking at around 55-60 percent of the total 16 days spent actually doing stuff, with the rest devoted to travel and one spare day.
I don't have any kids.
One wrong turn in a snowstorm
The bulk of the route is by interstate, per revised map at post 33. The remainder is on four-lane, well-marked U.S. highways.
Also, I do have a GPS. Two of them, in fact. One's on my cell phone. And I also have multiple national paper maps, and state maps are generally available at rest stops (or I can order them directly prior to departure).
you could be putting lives at risk
My life is at risk every morning and evening while I drive in heavy rush hour traffic. What's your point?
missread the map
I redraw maps. For fun. From memory.
Shucks, most folks usually are disturbed at how accurate my redrawn maps are.
why would you want to travel this far in such a small window of time
I have twelve days of vacation in 2011, plus four floating holidays. I need a few days in reserve for things like exams and the occasional mental health day, which leaves me with about 7-9 days that I can take. Add in MLK and the weekends, and I've got 11-12, or up to 16 if I am careful with planning.
Not trying to be a negative nanny
Yes, actually, you are.
That's a good suggestion.
Get some tire chains
There are times the Rocky mountain passes are closed except to vehicles with chains
In North Dakota we learned that carrying candles in the car was part of emergency plan - a single candle (and matches/lighter of course) can heat the car interior enough to make the difference between life and death
thermal blankets, GPS and charged (manually chargeable) cellphone and emergency radio also good items
Whatever.
You have met most advice, which you asked for by starting this Vanity thread with a so what yes I can attitude.
Knock yourself out on your trip.
GoodBye.
Whatever you say, my dear.
Just remember that most folks here in the DC metro area don't bother to road trip into the interior, preferring to fly over it instead.
I live north of Denver. We are actually have a VERY mild winter right now. I wouldn’t go west of Denver right now; for some reason the mountains seem to be getting pounded.
Find out what your talk/news radio is in each region so that you can get the scoop on road/weather conditions. There are so many people in the Denver/CO Springs area, that even when it snows, the road conditions improve very quickly unless we have a blizzard. But, this year, we have only experienced dustings a couple of time.
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