Directions From Grand Canyon to Denver in Winter (Loveland, Grand Junction: rent, travel)

[SCSKier]

I will be traveling in Colorado from December 18-23 2008. I will be traveling from the Grand Canyon to Denver. My question is:

What is the best route to get from the Grand Canyon over to Denver in the winter?

I would like it to be as safe as possible, but also scenic, with as many points of interest as possible. I will be driving a mid-sized SUV with snow chains in the trunk. Being from South Carolina my winter driving is limited but I do have a good bit of experience.

Would you recommend I use:

1. Hwy 550 from Durango to Hwy 50 to I-70? I know about all the high elevation passes and avalanche concerns.

2. Hwy 145 from Cortez to Hwy 62 to Ridgeway then North on Hwy 550 to Hwy 50 and I-70?

3. Hwy 145 from Cortez to Hwy 141 and to I-70?

4. Hwy 191 in Utah to I-70?

5. Hwy 160 to Cortez then Hwy 491 to Utah and Hwy 191 to I-70?

6. Hwy 160 from Durango to I-25 then Denver?

7. Any other suggestions?

I have spent hours looking on Google Earth trying to find the safest but scenic route. I have never been to Colorado and it is quite difficult to gauge the difficulty of driving some of these roads without ever being on them before. I realize you can not forecast the weather 7 months in advance nor am I am not asking you to do my leg-work for me, just give me your opinion on what route you would take.

Thanks to everyone that replies!

[tfox]

All of the above are very scenic, in their own way. The 4 corners region is great.

However, in winter, I think you're best off taking #4, the route in Utah via US-191. It avoids the San Juans, which are beautiful but treacherous in winter. Great stopover potential in Moab and Arches.

[nathan yudnich]

ya
you should take 70 to denver
becuase you got them chains

im not really sure about uhat

but grandjuncktion is a good stop, camp grouns, hike, 4 weels
...glennwood springs really tourist town, you find allot for travelers there, can worm up in the hot springs for 10$. go in the comercial vapor caves.
...or you can find the natural ones if you talk to the right people
...after that you got some really seinic cliffs...hangling lake(but i dont think its open in the winter)

[nathan yudnich]

Originally Posted by tfox

All of the above are very scenic, in their own way. The 4 corners region is great.

However, in winter, I think you're best off taking #4, the route in Utah via US-191. It avoids the San Juans, which are beautiful but treacherous in winter. Great stopover potential in Moab and Arches.

ya

number 4 my vote

but i have never really got to explor the 4 corner region good
all i know is of like masa verta and sutch

[SCSKier]

Thanks tfox and nathan yudnich,

Mapquest and Google Earth both say that using US-191 to I-70 is the quickest route. Which I assume avoids most of the major mountain ranges. I'm ready for some real snow skiing, not these little resorts I ski at in North Carolina and West Virginia. I'm will be going to Vail to ski on some real powder and then on to Denver. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Any other locals have any suggestions on route or Activities that are a must and why?

Thanks,

SCSkier

[Idunn]

Your route will be dictated by the weather and how comfortable you are driving over mountain passes in the snow. That time of year the roads might be dry or snow packed and difficult, quite possibly a bit of both depending on route.

If the weather inclement, and yourself feeling less than adventurous, you might opt for I-40 out of Flagstaff to Albuquerque, thence north to Denver on I-25. A fair chance you'll miss the worst of it because of the route and elevations involved, although if truly inclement I'd rather be on a two land road than an interstate.

As far as scenery the Four Corners region is great. Assuming you are departing the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, take AZ 64 east to US 89 north to US 160 through Kayenta, AZ.

US 191 through eastern Utah and Moab, UT is a scenic desert route that would be a good choice to I-70 if you are trying to skirt the high country. Although you'll still have to deal with some high mountain passes on I-70 through Colorado. If you opt for this route taking US 163 north out of Kayenta, AZ to meet US 191 will take you through Monument Valley and some interesting scenery.

Even if opting to travel through Cortez, CO instead such a route, US 163 towards Bluff, UT thence Aneth, UT back to US 160 in Colorado, would be an interesting if long detour.

If it seems at all feasible the drive between Durango, CO and Ouray, CO on US 550 is marvelous. More interesting than CO 146 through Rico, CO, although that certainly nice enough. Be forewarned either route, but particularly US 550, will entail several high mountain passes with no guard rails or anything else to save you if getting a wheel off the road. But that is part of the charm. Relatively lightly traveled any time of year, particularly in the winter. Durango, CO, Silverton, CO, Ouray, CO, all beautiful and interesting towns, and the route between magic.

Should you decide not to, continuing east on US 160 to intersect I-25 and then north on I-25 to Denver, CO certainly viable. An interesting and at times scenic route. Two mountain passes involved, Wolf Creek and La Veta, but both relatively easy if high enough to catch snow.

If taking US 550 north through Ouray, CO then US 50 east to US 285 and north to Denver, CO a good largely scenic route. Several low passes, save Monarch Pass which is higher but not terribly difficult. If snowing you could expect to deal with it on possibly long portions of this route, but I-70 much the same in that respect.

US 550/50 from Ouray, CO to I-70 at Grand Junction, CO is a direct and fast route. From there most of I-70 to Denver, CO is quite scenic. Such a route would only give me pause if dealing with inclement weather on the high mountain passes involved, but people do it all the time. Problem is many of them are idiots. I-70 is also more likely to be closed in places due bad weather/accidents than alternative two lane highways.

If taking US 550 north another possibility is turning at Delta, CO on CO 133 through Paonia, CO and through Carbondale, CO to meet I-70 at Glenwood Springs, CO. Because of the one moderate pass involved and how the road may be maintained possibly not an advisable route in inclement weather. But Redstone, CO on the far side of the pass is a lovely little place, and following the Crystal river on down to Carbondale, CO a beautiful drive.

A bit early in the season but if skiing is part of your equation in this then possible options along such routes would be Durango Mountain Resort (formerly Purgatory) north of Durango on US 550; or Silverton Mountain just outside of Silverton, CO on US 550; or Wolf Creek ski area on Wolf Creek Pass on US 160; or Telluride on CO 146; or Monarch ski area on Monarch Pass on US 50; or lots of options along I-70, including Vail, Breckenridge, Keystone, Loveland, and A-Basin.

Just be willing to be flexible concerning weather, although with caution you can go near anywhere. But such an excursion should be interesting and scenic, and if you allow yourself the time absolutely fabulous.

[jazzlover]

If you aren't an experienced winter or mountain driver (and by mountains, I don't mean the Appalachians), 1, 2, and 6 shouldn't be on your list--especially 1. I have about four decades of mountain driving experience in Colorado over every road you have listed, and I avoid US 550 over Red Mountain, Molas, and Coal Bank in winter, unless I have to go to Silverton.

Your other admittedly longer and less scenic option is I-40 to I-25. The main winter issues on that route are usually around Flagstaff in Arizona and Raton Pass on the Colorado/New Mexico border on I-25.

This has been covered ad infinitum in other threads, but roads on any of the routes can be treacherous in winter, especially for those with limited winter driving experience. I've been in nasty road conditions, blinding blizzards, and heavy snowfalls somewhere on each one of those routes at least once. Having a well-prepared vehicle is good, but the real key is how well the driver is prepared to cope with bad driving conditions. The other factor is time--bad roads can easily double your driving time--out-of-staters, especially from eastern states, often misjudge driving distances in the West. They are long--and, in bad weather, can be scary and miserable. When you are creeping along at 15 mph in horrible visibility on slick snowpacked roads and the next town of more than 10 people is 50 or 75 miles away, it's a little different than white-knuckling it back east to next town 5 miles away and going into the coffee shop. Don't necessarily listen to the "don't worry, you'll be fine" posts made by some on this forum, either. It's possible to play Russian Roulette and be fine, too, but I wouldn't bet my life and wellbeing on it. Pick a driving route that matches your skills and abilities, not the one that somebody says is "really cool."

[Katiana]

I definitely agree with jazzlover on matching the route to your abilities. I-40 to I-25 is probably best. It's still pretty scenic. You can do some of the other routes once you gain some snow/mountain driving experience.

[SCSKier]

Thanks everyone,

Your thoughts and opinions are very helpful. Hwy 550 North was kind of wishful thinking, I knew it would probably be bad in the winter from looking on Google Earth and watching videos on Youtube. I'm going to heed your warnings and probably opt out for US-191 thru Utah to I-70 or take the I-40 to I-25 and try to bypass as much danger as possible. I am sure driving in the Appalachians will be nothing compared to what I will probably encounter driving in Colorado. If we get 2 Inches of snow around here everything shuts down or probably just a trace would do it. I am looking forward to my trip to Colorado and I would like to thank everyone that took the time to respond. Thanks a lot it has been very helpful!!