Conference ssdevo::colorado

    
    I've always heard to take the southerly route in winter to avoid
    the high altitude stretches of I70.  I've never gone that way
    though.  If I ran them on automap my bet would be they would
    be nearly the same distance wise.  I'll check it tonight.
    
    We went the I70/I15 route a couple of summers ago.  We made it
    to Green River, UT the first night....from Green River down
    to Cedar ?? on I15 was pretty deserted, although there was 
    a lot of traffic.  Nothing but scenic overlooks and one or
    two rest stops.
    
    
    It was pretty smooth sailing all the way once you cleared the
    passes on I70.  Overall it took us about 12 hours to Las Vegas, and
    another 5.5 into Anaheim, CA.
    
    --Bert

    If you are going soon, I'd vote for the I25 then West on Ixx(??), but
    watch the speed in ARIZONA, they will ticket you for 1-2 mph over, and
    then there is the possible bad stretch near Flagstaff.  Weather there 
    can be snow or ice, but less of a bad part than the I70/I15 route.
    
    Dave

The I70/I15 route is the shorter route, but only by 100 miles or so (according
to Map'nGo).   I'll confirm the times from .1, that's almost exactly the time it
took us when we did I70/I5.

We left early in the a.m. from Parker, and hit Vegas by late afternoon.

--Scott

Here's MapQuest's answer...

         From:                Colorado Springs, CO
         To:                  Los Angeles, CA

         Beginning at Colorado Springs, CO
         Go West on US 24 for 1.0 miles to I-25
         Go North on I-25 for 67.2 miles to US 6
         Go West on US 6 for 8.4 miles to I-70
         Go West on I-70 for 269.0 miles (Tunnel) to Utah
         Go West on I-70 for 234.2 miles to I-15
         Go Southwest on I-15 for 132.3 miles to Arizona
         Go West on I-15 for 28.9 miles to Nevada
         Go Southwest on I-15 for 124.5 miles to California
         Go Southwest on I-15 for 188.2 miles to San Bernardino Frwy.
         Go West on San Bernardino Frwy. for 41.6 miles to Hollywood Freeway
         Go West on Hollywood Freeway for 1.5 miles to Los Angeles, CA

         Distance: 1096.8 miles

If you go the I70/I15 route, don't bother with:

>         Go North on I-25 for 67.2 miles to US 6
>         Go West on US 6 for 8.4 miles to I-70

There's nothing to be gained by going into downtown Denver.  Take C470
west directly to I70 and avoid the congestion on I25 downtown.  While C470
is slightly longer in terms of milage, its a faster road to travel.

ymmv,
--Scott

    thanks for the tips ...
    
    and thanks too for the pointer to mapquest ... interesting that they
    don't route via I40 until you go south to Walsenburg.  Pueblo routes
    via I 70 too ...
    
    I reckon it's about 100 miles further via I40.
    
    Weather could be a real challenge ... either way it seems. Oh well.
    
    Stuart

    Stuart,
    
    My daughter just moved outside of Laguna from here.  During the summer
    they used the i-70 I-15 route.  
    
    this winter they used the Albequerque route to avoid the snow in high
    passes.  time, about the same, but a much saner mom before she called
    to let me know they ad arrived safely.  they had driven out the I-15
    route in early Dec to drop the smaller cars.  
    
    meg

    I'm off tomorrow ... so I called the hiway peoples ... and I25 is ICY
    through the passes in southern CO, northern NM, and some on I40 through
    the passes too!
    
    I70 is Icy spots in CO and Utah ...
    
    Looks like I may end up on the I70 route ...
    
    Looks a bit like Hobson's Choice.
    
    
    Stuart

    
    Stuart, I went the I-70 way a few years ago. Don't forget you
    can take 470 around the SW of Denver to save a few miles there.
    i agree with being careful in Arizona. Even though you only cut 
    through a small corner of the state, they have an attitude 
    problem there. I got stopped since I had one of those plastic 
    frames around my rear license plate. They cited this for covering
    up part of my expiration stickers in the corners. Hey, I didn't
    design these things. Anyway, I took it off and threw it in the 
    trash. What was funny, is after I pulled away, the same law 
    enforcer pulled over the next car to come along. 
    
    Pete 

Well, just got back.  It was slightly more than somewhat gruelling.

Driving through mountain passes in the dark is a challenge.

We went I70 I15 ... Since AZ weather didn't look too good.

With a family, this is a 2 1/2 day haul and not the 2 day that we tried.

Saw one police car on the highway ... between Green River and Salina Utah
in the middle of absolutely nowhere, where your visibility down the road is
probably > 20 miles ... and he pulled somebody for speeding!  It must have
cost more to have the cop car patrol that stretch than he collected in fines!
Not to mention that he could have done far more important work in the cities
where people do some stupid driving tricks.



Stuart

    
    Stuart that is one naked area between GR and Salina, isn't it?  
    
    there was a statie out there?  Hard to believe, I ave never seen one on
    that stretch before.  
    
    meg

    It is incredibly "naked" as you put it ... but it is so incredibly
    awe inspiring.  I'd recommend anyone make that trip once.  I thought
    that pikes peak was awe inspiring until I drove this stretch.
    
    (And to keep it Colorado flavoured ... the area around Grand Junction
    is just a taste).
    
    3 mountain ranges with every kind of terrain imaginable between.
    
    Stuart