DEN to Crested Butte (Denver, Colorado Springs: rent, travel, art)

[amymcf]

What are your recommendations on a route from Denver Airport to Crested Butte? Google Maps says to take 285 to 50 (approx 4 hours 50 minutes). How is this road in the winter? Would you rather recommend taking 70 over to one of the other roads and heading south, etc into CB?

[Dunknd4345]

I've been to Crested Butte 6 times in my life and in many different seasons. Whatever you do, try to avoid Monarch Pass in the Winter. It is brutal and slow. I'm sure you will have to head over some type of pass. Just be very very carefull

[COflower]

If you take I-70 to Glenwood then head south towards Delta then west on 50, that's a 6 hour drive under "ideal" conditions. The road from Glenwood to Delta can be pretty iffy in the winter but it's a pretty drive.

I would suggest checking the pricing for a flight into Grand Junction (Walker Field - GJT) as it's only a little over 3 hours drive (under ideal driving of course) to Crested B. It's a smaller airport but GJ has all that most small metro areas have.

Grand Junction has connections from both DIA and from Salt Lake. Last I heard, connecting through Salt Lake is cheaper but I think they have added some connections from DEN to GJT I think in part because Aspen's airport is out of commision right now.

[amymcf]

Originally Posted by Dunknd4345

I've been to Crested Butte 6 times in my life and in many different seasons. Whatever you do, try to avoid Monarch Pass in the Winter. It is brutal and slow. I'm sure you will have to head over some type of pass. Just be very very carefull

Which route is Monarch Pass on?

[jazzlover]

Plenty of misinformation posted above. If you are going from Denver to Crested Butte, there really are only one or two practical routes. First is US 285 from Denver to Poncha Jct., then US 50 over Monarch Pass to Gunnison, thence CO 135 to Crested Butte. It's the shortest fastest route if roads are decent. I've driven the road from Denver to Gunnison probably close to a thousand times (and I am not exaggerating here). The biggest winter risk on that drive is blizzarding in South Park, and bad conditions on US 50 over Monarch. I worry about the former more than the latter. Monarch can be bad in a winter storm, but it is no worse than Vail or the Eisenhower Tunnel as far as road conditions go, and you don't have to deal with 20,000 ignorant fools trying to drive over Monarch, like you do on I-70.

To avoid blizzarding in South Park, you can take I-25 south to Colorado Springs, then CO 115 to Penrose, then US 50 to Gunnison--I've done this many times, too. I don't like I-25 in bad weather (another 20,000 ignorant fools looking to run into you), 115 can be interesting in snow, and US 50 from Canon City to Salida can be icy at times--but that is an alternative. One can also drive I-70 to Copper Mountain, then CO 191 to Leadville, south on US 24 to Buena Vista, then back on 285/50 to Gunnison (or I-70 to Dowd Jct., then US 24 over Tennessee Pass to Leadville--more I-70, more passes--uh, uh). I don't recommend that--too many passes, too many idiots on I-70.

Driving around to Gunnison via I-70 through Glenwood or Grand Junction makes no sense, unless you are coming from the west. It nearly doubles the length of the trip, exposes you to the whole I-70 mess (which I try to avoid like the plague), and you still have to deal with Cerro Summit and Blue Mesa on US 50 west of Gunnison--both of those can be bad in winter, with Cerro particularly prone to getting very icy.

One alternative to consider if Monarch is really bad is to drop south on US 285, over Poncha Pass to Saguache, thence westward over Cochetopa Pass (pronounced "Coach-uh-tope" in case anyone is interested--the "a" is silent) on CO 114. Cochetopa is lower than Monarch, has generally shallower grades, and usually gets less snow than Monarch. It does have spots prone to blizzarding, though, and is not a heavily traveled highway. It is winter-maintained, but may not see much plowing at night--I would avoid driving it between dusk and dawn.

Finally, whatever route you take, make sure your car is thoroughly winterized. Temperatures in Gunnison/Crested Butte regularly drop to 20 below or lower in winter. A car with a less than perfect battery may not start at those temperatures. Make sure your cooling system is protected to at least -40 F., too.

I've been driving in the Colorado mountains for close to 40 years--over virtually every mountain road in the state in every season and under all conditions. If you want more specific info, PM me and I'll try to answer your questions. You may also query some of my other posts in the subject.

You could also fly to Gunnison--not cheap, but another alternative . . .