What route ya takin' to Utah?

Glenn actually found a short route...but it was better for a crow than a guy with truck/trailer!

I looking at the northern route through OKC, kansas, denver, cheyenne and then to tooele. Something like 1450 miles.

I have driven most of west texas and northern NM and part of Glenn's route looks pretty good with a 4k foot climb in 200 miles and the rest is pretty gradual...then the roller coaster down hill from SLC to tooele.

So, I mixed Glenn's and my route to find a 1382 mile route from Dallas to Amarillo, to Dalhart, Raton NM, Denver, Cheyenne and 80 over to SLC.

It seems to get all the climbing done in one push and is on good/decent highways that aren't totally in mountain passes.

What all have you others figured out yet?

Been using Streets and Trips and Google Earth for the terrain.

I would ask the RM group about that route.

I recall Cody saying it was a lot closer to go to Miller from Denver, but it took less time to travel to Hallett.

west of denver there is a almost 10K peak in alt.
i'm now looking at Albuquerque then northwest to Farmington and to Salt Lake City. seemed like the highest alt was under 7K?
i've sent an email to Chris McComb to have him shoot emails to those folks and get feedback.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...19&ie=UTF8&z=6
this route is 1255 miles.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GlennCMC70

west of denver there is a almost 10K peak in alt.
i'm now looking at Albuquerque then northwest to Farmington and to Salt Lake City. seemed like the highest alt was under 7K?
i've sent an email to Chris McComb to have him shoot emails to those folks and get feedback.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...19&ie=UTF8&z=6
this route is 1255 miles.

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That route from Alb to farmington isn't bad...but there are quite a few small towns to get bogged down in to 45 mph... There are also quite a few decent hotels there if you are looking for place to stop.

I will have to see what it's like after that headed north. You might be on to something...I think on average it is flatter but there is a hell of a climb to over 9k near Carbon in Utah...might be a tricky road and looks fairly remote if you were to have issues while towing...

If you guys take the Denver route, you'll be traveling I-70 westward out of Denver. this is a gorgeous drive and is a really remarkable bit of freeway construction. Huge sections of it are suspended over the valley it runs in to minimize the impact to the enviornment. The construction company was fined for every tree it damaged or killed (something like $10k per tree.) You'd be driving past Lake Dillon, Vail, through Glenwood Canyon, and the Eisenhauer tunnel (built to preserve a popular rock climbing area.) One of my favorite drives (short of driving North from Durango, through Silverton and Ouray to Montrose.)

The downside of it is that you'll get up to a hair over 11,000 feet at the Eisenhauer Tunnel, though I can't remember any steep grades on the drive. It's a modern, multi-lane freeway with plenty of traffic and highway patrols. There are worse places to break down.

Jay Carley is leaving on Monday afternoon the 7th from the FW area. He was wondering if anyone wanted to caravan with him. Lemme know and I will pass a message along.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gt40

If you guys take the Denver route, you'll be traveling I-70 westward out of Denver. this is a gorgeous drive and is a really remarkable bit of freeway construction. Huge sections of it are suspended over the valley it runs in to minimize the impact to the enviornment. The construction company was fined for every tree it damaged or killed (something like $10k per tree.) You'd be driving past Lake Dillon, Vail, through Glenwood Canyon, and the Eisenhauer tunnel (built to preserve a popular rock climbing area.) One of my favorite drives (short of driving North from Durango, through Silverton and Ouray to Montrose.)

The downside of it is that you'll get up to a hair over 11,000 feet at the Eisenhauer Tunnel, though I can't remember any steep grades on the drive. It's a modern, multi-lane freeway with plenty of traffic and highway patrols. There are worse places to break down.

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Also the speed limit west of the tunnel is 75!

JJ

I lived in Denver for 10 years, and just got back from traveling to Denver from Houston. Drove through Dallas, Amarillo, Dumas and into Denver was good roads all the way. a lot better than I had expected.
My preference would be to head west out of Denver if you do not mind the short climb to 10,400 to the Eisenhower Tunnel. Your tow vehicle will be challenged, but for only about 30 miles. After the tunnel it is all downhill, so make sure your brakes are fully checked. This is what gets most of the tractor/trailers, is overheating of their brakes. Be aware of the gravel pit runoff lanes if it gets away from you.
The cutoff from Green River, UT to Provo, I have not traveled for some time, so I am not sure of that section. But it is a desolate area so make sure you top off prior to leaving Green River.
I80 from Cheyenne, WY to SLC is a safer route with not the steepness of the mountains.
Watch out for the Cowboys in WY, where the men are men, and the sheep are nervous.

for us, if we were going (and when we went to SLC to buy our trailer), we took the northern route(I-80). Really, the pass up through Eisenhower is the worst part on I-70, but it IS steep on the western side and just west of Denver also. There's a lot less climbing on I-80.

Most of the replies I've received from the RM crowd are from folks who live in Colorado. I had been hoping for some of our New Mexico drivers to chime in, but I don't think any of them have been to Miller.

Getting to Miller from Texas allows you to come up from the south, rather than going over I-70, or up I-25 to I-80. I've driven most of the roads on Glenn's route, and think it would be fine for a good tow vehicle with trailer. Part of the route is on state highways, vs interstates, so yes, you'll need to be aware of speed limits, and be sure to keep your fuel tank topped up.

fwiw, I think the toughest pass to go over is Raton in New Mexico. The altitude may not be the highest, but it's a killer climb.

-chris