Crossing Wyoming on I-80

[MRVphotog]

Personally based on your posts I would take the southern route. I also agree that I80 would be a better choice than I70. Better safe than sorry has worked for me for years.

[BillyBobJoeBobWilly]

Originally Posted by MRVphotog

Personally based on your posts I would take the southern route. I also agree that I80 would be a better choice than I70. Better safe than sorry has worked for me for years.

Yes, thanks for you post. My wife is still trying to learn how to parallel park and three point turn around so a cross country drive will definately throw her into the mix. Adding snow and ice may not be a good thing.

[jody_wy]

Originally Posted by BillyBobJoeBobWilly

Yes, thanks for you post. My wife is still trying to learn how to parallel park and three point turn around so a cross country drive will definately throw her into the mix. Adding snow and ice may not be a good thing.

and there might not be snow and ice... but there always seems to be wind, though once last summer the Wind mills at Arlington where not turning, and we didn't have the camera

[WyoNewk]

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade... nor bragging rights about Wyoming winds, but I-10 has some ferocious winds too. The only difference is they're warmer and blow sand instead of snow. For that matter, the closest I've ever come to being blown off the road was in northern Iowa.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by BillyBobJoeBobWilly

hmm.. with that perhaps I should take I-10 across and then come up from Phoenix through Las Vegas and through the desert?

I'm ok driving and towing but my wife is an inexperienced driver who is just getting ready to take her driving test. She would be following me with another car.

I've made the trip before from Florida to Southern California and the only part of that I didn't care for was West Texas.

Other than that, no problem.

I think your choices are I-80 or I-40. It should be about the same distance either way. All things considered, in the wintertime I'd probably choose I-40. Just because of the weather. But you shouldn't have any problem on I-80 either. I have towed my car on I-80 in the winter, and had no issues. One thing to consider, the I-40 route will have you traveling on US-95 from Vegas to Reno. Thats a pretty remote area. Any break downs on that road, and you are a long way from service.

One thing, try to make sure your wife gets as much driving experience as possible, before the trip. The idea a n00b driver making a cross country trip by herself is a bit scary to me. Then again she needs experience, and she will have it by the time you get to Reno.

[BillyBobJoeBobWilly]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

I think your choices are I-80 or I-40. It should be about the same distance either way. All things considered, in the wintertime I'd probably choose I-40. Just because of the weather. But you shouldn't have any problem on I-80 either. I have towed my car on I-80 in the winter, and had no issues. One thing to consider, the I-40 route will have you traveling on US-95 from Vegas to Reno. Thats a pretty remote area. Any break downs on that road, and you are a long way from service.

One thing, try to make sure your wife gets as much driving experience as possible, before the trip. The idea a n00b driver making a cross country trip by herself is a bit scary to me. Then again she needs experience, and she will have it by the time you get to Reno.

Thanks for the post. I didn't even consider I-40. And yes, I'm spending time with my wife everyday practicing driving.

[some boring guy]

The stretches between Laramie & Cheyenne and leading into Salt Lake were the two that came to mind for me as well.

I moved to Rawlins recently and have driven between there and Cheyenne pretty frequently. That stretch isn't terrible, just a long downhill mostly. If you go slow you should be fine. It might be different in bad weather though. Only been to Salt Lake once, and that route made me a little more nervous; definitely had the race track feel to it with all the winding roads.

I've never found the winds to be exceptionally bad either. Occasionally I'll get a gust that briefly jerks me around, but never to the extent that I felt unsafe. Again, it might be different for a high profile vehicle.

As far as weather, it seems like it's stayed warmer later than usual in this area, but one never knows in mid-november. Definitely check the weather when you're going to be in the area.

[MRVphotog]

Originally Posted by some boring guy

The stretches between Laramie & Cheyenne and leading into Salt Lake were the two that came to mind for me as well.

I moved to Rawlins recently and have driven between there and Cheyenne pretty frequently. That stretch isn't terrible, just a long downhill mostly. If you go slow you should be fine. It might be different in bad weather though. Only been to Salt Lake once, and that route made me a little more nervous; definitely had the race track feel to it with all the winding roads.

I've never found the winds to be exceptionally bad either. Occasionally I'll get a gust that briefly jerks me around, but never to the extent that I felt unsafe. Again, it might be different for a high profile vehicle.

As far as weather, it seems like it's stayed warmer later than usual in this area, but one never knows in mid-november. Definitely check the weather when you're going to be in the area.

Drive to Laramie a few times this winter, even when you leave Rawlins and it's a bluebird day, roads are dry. As you get near Elk Mountain you'll notice the wind is blowing the snow across the road and in a few more miles the road is slick ice. Did you notice all the snow fencing, it helps I guess but the road is slick so your now driving at 40 instead of 70. A tractor trailer passes you, he can drive fast but if he has to stop or slow down quickly he's deadmeat.

My point, even if it's a nice day all over Wyoming the section driving past Elk Mountain can be a bear.