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Old 05-29-2009, 12:31 PM
 
26,111 posts, read 48,696,623 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by susan5559 View Post
I've got the same problem as lzlaney as far as steep grades and dropoffs. Also, my 19-year-old daughter who has never driven on anything higher or steeper than our Loop around town in Lubbock, TX wants to drive most of the way from Lubbock to Colorado Springs. I've been over Raton Pass in the past, but it's been a long time and my fear of heights and drop offs has gotten worse over the years. How steep a grade is Raton Pass and how hard will it be for someone who has never driven any hill of any kind? Thanks!!
I've driven it several times now, and it's a piece of cake, shoot, it's an Interstate highway, you'll be fine, it's just a hill.
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Old 05-29-2009, 03:29 PM
 
Location: Wherabouts Unknown!
7,841 posts, read 18,925,448 times
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So Mike, are you saying that it's a hill made out of cake? If that is the case, she'll get frosting all over her windsheild when she runs into that cake hill. She'll probably need to visit a car was too. Oh silly me..Have I nothing better to do.
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Old 05-29-2009, 07:09 PM
 
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Interstate highways by definition have maximum grade specs. I think the max is probably something like a 7 or 8% grade, and I've only seen that on much older interstates than I-25, namely I-80 in California. Normally you won't see more than a 5 or 6% grade on newer (post mid to late 1960s) interstates.
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Old 06-02-2009, 03:50 PM
 
15 posts, read 81,860 times
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Simple, just be sure going down in to Colorado that she watches her speed. I'v driven it in a blizzard in May with no chains. But then I was used to Colo and Wyoming driving. Yeah, Lubbock is Flat.
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Old 06-02-2009, 08:47 PM
 
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Yep, watching the speed going down hill in the snow / on icy road surface. Especially towing!
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Old 06-03-2009, 03:39 PM
 
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
6,288 posts, read 11,717,064 times
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The easiest pass you'll ever do. If it can even be called a pass. Seriously, though, it does have a fairly steep grade, so it might be out of the question for you.

If you want to avoid Raton, you should take 285 from Santa Fe north to Alamosa. Completely avoids mountain passes.

From there I have no idea how you'd get to Denver.

Quote:
Originally Posted by lzlaney View Post
Hi. My husband and I plan to go to South Fork, Denver and Colorado Springs bringing our 5th wheel. I am very afraid of heights. How bad is traveling thru Raton with an rv? I want to stay on wide highways with no steep grades. Is that possible? I want to make the trip for my husband. He has always wanted to go to Colorado and I don't want my fear to get in the way. Thanks for the help. Hill country girl in Texas.
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Old 06-04-2009, 08:45 AM
 
3 posts, read 20,491 times
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Thanks everybody! We're a week away and really excited!
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Old 06-04-2009, 11:12 AM
 
3 posts, read 20,491 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jazzlover View Post
For mountain drivers, Raton Pass is next to nothing--to flatlanders like yourself--well, I don't know. If you want to avoid mountains altogether, take US287 north out of Texas to US50 at Lamar, then west on 50 to Pueblo, then north on I-25 to Colorado Springs and you've missed driving through any of the mountains. Of course, seeing the mountains is why most people travel to Colorado, so . . .
thanks. We'd like to have an alternate route and this sounds good. Can you tell me the quality of the road and if it's 2 lane or 4? We will be seeing lots of mountains after we get there and may want to take a route we've never been on.
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Old 06-17-2009, 04:26 PM
 
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You cannot go to all three without going over a pass. You can get to SouthFork by going from Albuquerque , to Bernalillo, up to Durango. and then E to Southfork. You cant get to Denver or Colo. Spgs though with out going over a Pass, from Southfork.
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