Thoughts on Southern Route to Denver

My wife and I will be heading to Denver from San Diego by car this
Christmas. A couple years back we made the trek and went the shortest
route: the 15 up to the 70, across to Denver. We hit some bad weather
in Utah, but the trip through the Rockies was smooth.

This year we're taking an older, less reliable car, and are considering
taking the southern route - the 15 to the 40, the 40 across to the 87,
and then up the 87 to Denver. Using online direction services, it
appears that this route will take an extra 3 hours, although my wife has
some family along the way that we can visit.

In any event, I was wondering how much difference, weather-wise, there
was between the southern route Rockies and the northern route Rockies.
The main idea is to avoid inclimate weather. My assumption is that
crossing the Rockies further south would be less prone to bad weather.
Is this the case? Is it worth an extra 3 hours to the ride?

TIA

" This year we're taking an older, less reliable car, and are considering
taking the southern route - the 15 to the 40, the 40 across to the 87, and
then up the 87 to Denver. Using online direction services, it appears
that this route will take an extra 3 hours, although my wife has some
family along the way that we can visit.

Remain flexible as long as you can and go with the flow.
Things can and do get bad south early winter up until
Christmas.....generally.

In any event, I was wondering how much difference, weather-wise, there was
between the southern route Rockies and the northern route Rockies. The
main idea is to avoid inclimate weather. My assumption is that crossing
the Rockies further south would be less prone to bad weather. Is this the
case? Is it worth an extra 3 hours to the ride?

Chains or "adequate snow tires?"
Regards, s

"Scott" wrote in message
...
My wife and I will be heading to Denver from San Diego by car this
Christmas. A couple years back we made the trek and went the shortest
route: the 15 up to the 70, across to Denver. We hit some bad weather in
Utah, but the trip through the Rockies was smooth.

This year we're taking an older, less reliable car, and are considering
taking the southern route - the 15 to the 40, the 40 across to the 87, and
then up the 87 to Denver. Using online direction services, it appears that
this route will take an extra 3 hours, although my wife has some family
along the way that we can visit.

In any event, I was wondering how much difference, weather-wise, there was
between the southern route Rockies and the northern route Rockies. The main
idea is to avoid inclimate weather. My assumption is that crossing the
Rockies further south would be less prone to bad weather. Is this the case?
Is it worth an extra 3 hours to the ride?


If you really want to avoid bad winter weather and a lot of mountain driving,
take Interstate 15 to Interstate 10 and then take Interstate 10 to Interstate
25 and go north into Denver. You'll hit the least severe weather that way. KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3000 live cameras or
visit NASA, play games, read jokes, send greeting cards & connect
to CNN news, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards or learn all
about Hawaii, Israel and mo http://keith.martin.home.att.net/

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 10:02:43 GMT, "alohacyberian"
wrote:

If you really want to avoid bad winter weather and a lot of mountain driving,
take Interstate 15 to Interstate 10 and then take Interstate 10 to Interstate
25 and go north into Denver. You'll hit the least severe weather that way. KM

From San Diego it makes a LOT more sense to take I-8 to I-10 to
I-25. One of the distinct advantages of I-8/I-10 over I-15/I-10
to Tucson (besides the shorter length) is that there's a lot less
traffic and you avoid Phoenix.

************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

On 28 Oct 2004 10:23:08 -0700, (Ad absurdum
per aspera) wrote:

taking the southern route - the 15 to the 40, the 40 across to the 87,
and then up the 87 to Denver.

I'd say, pay attention to the weather forecast and remain flexible.
It'll probably be either just fine or pretty icky, not much in
between.
As you go over the top between Williams and Winslow, I-40 can throw
you a road-closingly heavy reminder of why Flagstaff has a ski area.
However, overall it's a bit lower and warmer, and since 40 is a major
cross-country truck artery they plow it as soon as they can.

I seem to recall Arizona 87 as a little ol' winding two-lane up though
lightly populated parts of the Navajo and Hopi country.

AZ 87 only goes as far north as Second Mesa on the Hopi
reservation, near as I can tell. Is there another 87 he might be
talking about?

In any case, weather can be quite atrocious across I-40 in
Arizona; elevations can be above 7,000 MSL, makign it worse.

Frankly, as you said and I snipped, I-8-I-10-I-25 would be the
route of choice to avoid winter weather. And it's all freeway.

Not a good
place to be busted down unless you've got the deluxe auto-club
membership or a lot of mechanical self-sufficiency. If the weather is
good enough to make Flagstaff itself sensible for you, you'd be better
off on US 89 -- or US 191 up through Window Rock.

However, any of those routes dump you into the Four Corners area, and
if you look at a map that shows the terrain, you see that it leaves a
weather/snow/terrain/garage-availability problem that might not be any
better for you than I-70 would have been.

Passing through Four Corners to go to Denver will require going
over some really high passes which tend to be closed from time to
time and very snowy in any case. Still, I think everyone should
go over Wolf Creek Pass at least once in their life.


************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

taking the southern route - the 15 to the 40, the 40 across to the 87,
and then up the 87 to Denver.

I'd say, pay attention to the weather forecast and remain flexible.
It'll probably be either just fine or pretty icky, not much in
between.
As you go over the top between Williams and Winslow, I-40 can throw
you a road-closingly heavy reminder of why Flagstaff has a ski area.
However, overall it's a bit lower and warmer, and since 40 is a major
cross-country truck artery they plow it as soon as they can.

I seem to recall Arizona 87 as a little ol' winding two-lane up though
lightly populated parts of the Navajo and Hopi country. Not a good
place to be busted down unless you've got the deluxe auto-club
membership or a lot of mechanical self-sufficiency. If the weather is
good enough to make Flagstaff itself sensible for you, you'd be better
off on US 89 -- or US 191 up through Window Rock.

However, any of those routes dump you into the Four Corners area, and
if you look at a map that shows the terrain, you see that it leaves a
weather/snow/terrain/garage-availability problem that might not be any
better for you than I-70 would have been. Pretty country, but if
you're uncertain about the car or reluctant to drive in winter
conditions, you might be better off staying on I-40 and picking up
I-25 in Albuquerque.

That's a 1260-mile trip compared to the 1080 miles of your baseline
proposal involving I-70. Whether it takes you close enough to your
friends and family along the way is up to you.


The third option, if you see that it's going to be socked in up north
and need to stay as low and as far south as you can for as long as you
can, is I-8 to I-10 to I-25 (680 miles) and then north to Denver
(another 670 miles). I've been snowed on down there but it was kind
of a freak event, not business as usual.


Any way you go, be sure to inspect and if necessary fix the usual
suspects in minor vehicle breakdown (tires, belts, hoses, that sort of
thing); take clothing and some food and water appropriate to an
unplanned night in the high country, just in case; and maybe get some
tire chains that fit your car (and practice how to put them on in the
warmth and comfort of your own driveway).

Best of luck,
--Joe

"alohacyberian" wrote in message ...
"Scott" wrote in message
...
My wife and I will be heading to Denver from San Diego by car this
Christmas. A couple years back we made the trek and went the shortest
route: the 15 up to the 70, across to Denver. We hit some bad weather in
Utah, but the trip through the Rockies was smooth.

This year we're taking an older, less reliable car, and are considering
taking the southern route - the 15 to the 40, the 40 across to the 87, and
then up the 87 to Denver. Using online direction services, it appears that
this route will take an extra 3 hours, although my wife has some family
along the way that we can visit.

In any event, I was wondering how much difference, weather-wise, there was
between the southern route Rockies and the northern route Rockies. The main
idea is to avoid inclimate weather. My assumption is that crossing the
Rockies further south would be less prone to bad weather. Is this the case?
Is it worth an extra 3 hours to the ride?


If you really want to avoid bad winter weather and a lot of mountain driving,
take Interstate 15 to Interstate 10 and then take Interstate 10 to Interstate
25 and go north into Denver. You'll hit the least severe weather that way. KM

From San Diego, I-8 to I-10 would probably be quicker than I-15 to
I-10, although 8 is a bit more desolate. Just something to consider.

"Dan Checkman" wrote in message
om...
"alohacyberian" wrote in message
...
"Scott" wrote in message
...
My wife and I will be heading to Denver from San Diego by car this
Christmas. A couple years back we made the trek and went the shortest
route: the 15 up to the 70, across to Denver. We hit some bad weather
in
Utah, but the trip through the Rockies was smooth.

This year we're taking an older, less reliable car, and are considering
taking the southern route - the 15 to the 40, the 40 across to the 87,
and
then up the 87 to Denver. Using online direction services, it appears
that
this route will take an extra 3 hours, although my wife has some family
along the way that we can visit.

In any event, I was wondering how much difference, weather-wise, there
was
between the southern route Rockies and the northern route Rockies. The
main
idea is to avoid inclimate weather. My assumption is that crossing the
Rockies further south would be less prone to bad weather. Is this the
case?
Is it worth an extra 3 hours to the ride?


If you really want to avoid bad winter weather and a lot of mountain
driving,
take Interstate 15 to Interstate 10 and then take Interstate 10 to
Interstate
25 and go north into Denver. You'll hit the least severe weather that way.
KM

From San Diego, I-8 to I-10 would probably be quicker than I-15 to
I-10, although 8 is a bit more desolate. Just something to consider.

I've known of a couple of horror stories on desolate I-8, so am hesitant to
recommend it to others and over all it doesn't seem appreciably shorter
time-wise or distance-wise. KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3000 live cameras or
visit NASA, play games, read jokes, send greeting cards & connect
to CNN news, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards or learn all
about Hawaii, Israel and mo http://keith.martin.home.att.net/

On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 08:29:42 GMT, "alohacyberian"
wrote:

"Dan Checkman" wrote in message
. com...

From San Diego, I-8 to I-10 would probably be quicker than I-15 to
I-10, although 8 is a bit more desolate. Just something to consider.

I've known of a couple of horror stories on desolate I-8, so am hesitant to
recommend it to others and over all it doesn't seem appreciably shorter
time-wise or distance-wise. KM

I've been driving I-8 off and on since it was first constructed
and I'm fascinated: what kind of horror stories?

************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *