Alternate routes to Moab?

[nakman]

We all know how to take I-70 west, then turn left. btdt. Has anyone taken another route that didn't add much time, but was either a more enjoyable drive, or provided better scenery, etc?

In looking at a map, I'm intrigued by the 285, over Monarch Pass to Gunnison, through Montrose, then down to Ridgeway then up & over route.. anyone done that? How much longer did it take? Alternatively, you could turn left at Glenwood and catch up with the same route, or even go all the way to Grand Junction and still catch some part of it.

I know almost every turn on I-70, how fast I can go up each hill, where I bought gas last year, the year before, the year before that, etc.. can anyone recommend a nice change of scenery?

this is the biggest map I can upload within the constraints here, but if you go to Google then click Map then search for Moab then select "hybrid" you can get the same picture, click & drag to move and use the wheel to zoom in & out. thoughts?

 

[MDH33]

A few years ago on a road trip through colorado to utah I went from Denver, down 285, over cottonwood pass, down through Gunnison on 50, passed the Black Canyon, then up towards Delta to Grand Junction, then 70 to Moab. I did it over the course of two days. Lots of great scenery along the way and mostly smaller highways. I don't think you could do it in a day like 70, but if you're not in a hurry, it's a nice drive.

 

[wesintl]

It's like 5 1/2 to ridgway going through gunnison.

I would take 70 to GJ go south on hwy 50 then take 141 to gateway and down to Nucla and then across to 90 to la sal jnct.

There are a bunch of little roads from gateway to castleton or moab but I've never been on them. I'm guessing they are dirt roads...

It's been a long time since I drove that route but the Uncompahgre Plateau is really pretty.

 

[subzali]

It's not much of a change...but just into Utah there's a turnoff at Cisco - you take that and it angles down through the canyon past Castleton Valley along the Colorado River - it's paved and pretty. As far as 285, it's almost 3 1/2 hours to Gunni from Denver...so...

 

[nakman]

Yeah, I always turn at Cisco, never go all the way to 191. And the first Cisco exit too (not the way where you backtrack that 1 mi.)

Gunni looks about halfway on the map, I've also done that in 3.5 hrs, so 7-7.5 hrs. to Moab is probably acceptable, to be I-70 free the whole way would be a nice change. To leave Saturday 4/28, camp somewhere around Gunnison, then roll into Moab Sunday may be a nice journey.. would anyone else be up for that? You'd miss the hotrod show..

 

[MDH33]

...To leave Saturday 4/28, camp somewhere around Gunnison, then roll into Moab Sunday may be a nice journey.. would anyone else be up for that? You'd miss the hotrod show..

Are you driving the 80 or the 40?

 

[nakman]

80, pulling a popup.

 

[corsair23]

80, pulling a popup.

Tim,

Almost every year we spend a week camping at the state campground just North of Ridgway (We stay at the Dutch Charlie campground, upper loop on the West side). Three rigs usually (one pulling a boat, one pulling the pop-up, and a third pulling a waverunner) and with fuel stops, traffic, lunch, etc. it almost always seems to take us 6-7 hours. We aren't hauling tail but we're not pokey about it either. Just with the passes, traffic, etc. that is what it takes.

From Ridgway to Moab looks like another 3-4 hours give or take.

Since we'll be pulling a pop-up I'd like to find a flat route to Moab but will probably just take I70 all the way and go for the shortest route possible.

For those that have BTDT in an 80 pulling a pop-up how long does it realistically take getting from Denver to Moab via I70? Yahoo tells me 365 miles or 5.5 hours...

It took me 4 hours to get home from Grand Junction with the LX back in Nov so I'm figuring pulling a pop-up with fuel and food breaks that it is going to take 7-8 hours to get to Moab.

 

[Shark Bait]

Get yourself to Cortez, either through Telluride or the southern route from Walsenburg, over to Durango. From Cortez, Hwy 666 up to 191 and on to Moab. Pretty country, some of it.

 

[Bobzooki]

From Cortez, Hwy 666

Hmm...

Surely, not the Highway to Hell!!!

OK, so get yourself to Steamboat Springs.

- Up 14 through Poudre Canyon, then all the way through Walden, then continue on 14 until it hits US40, then over Rabbit Ears Pass
- Over Berthoud pass and just stay on US40 to Steamboat
- Over Berthoud Pass, but then turn off US40 just west of Kremmling, and take CO134 over Gore Pass, and take a left at Toponas, up CO131 to Steamboat.

Next take US40 through Hayden, Craig, through Vernal Utah, all the way to Duchesne Utah. Here, you take a left on US191 - take US191 all the way to I-70, and take a left, through Green River, all the way to US191 south to Moab.

 

[nakman]

Jeff, it's 5.5 hours, 6 hours tops. That's with 33's, stock gears, no S/C, getting down to 25-30mph up by the tunnel, then 75ish when it flattens out. If the kids need more stops then you can add for that, but NFW it's 7-8 hours unless the kids are playing some sort of drinking game...

It's one tank of gas to get to Fruita, still at 3/4 by the time you hit Moab..

 

[MDH33]

80, pulling a popup.

...

Since we'll be pulling a pop-up I'd like to find a flat route to Moab but will probably just take I70 all the way and go for the shortest route possible.

For those that have BTDT in an 80 pulling a pop-up how long does it realistically take getting from Denver to Moab via I70? ...

All you guys with 40's opting to drive the Pink Panty mobiles instead... isn't this CM sacrilage of some kind?


At any rate, it excludes me from tagging along on your scenic route, since my 40 can't keep up with an 80. Or an 80 pulling a pop-up. or an 80 pulling a pop-up up a steep hill into a headwind...

 

[nakman]

How fast can you go up the hill by Loveland, right before the tunnel? Seriously, I hit 25. but dude if we take the road less traveled we can throw rate out the window.

 

[Bobzooki]

If I was driving my trail rig, and not trailering it, AND if the trail was open (which it apparently is not), and there wasn't 10 feet of snow on the trail (which there would be, in May), I would go Up Jenny Creek trail, then over the Boulder Wagon Road, over Rollins Pass, into Winter Park, then take US40 to Kremmling, then over Gore Pass on CO 134, then up CO 131 to Yampa, and hang a left at Yampa, taking the scenic byway (pronounced gravel road) to Meeker, then drop down to I-70 at Rifle on CO 13. Then I would take the river road to Moab...

 

[corsair23]

Jeff, it's 5.5 hours, 6 hours tops. That's with 33's, stock gears, no S/C, getting down to 25-30mph up by the tunnel, then 75ish when it flattens out. If the kids need more stops then you can add for that, but NFW it's 7-8 hours unless the kids are playing some sort of drinking game...

It's one tank of gas to get to Fruita, still at 3/4 by the time you hit Moab..

Good news Tim

I've been to Moab once following behind a RV pulling a Jeep and it took forever (so it seemed). But in the end with my and two it might take us the 7-8 hours . A 3 yr old and 7 yr old need lots of 'potty breaks'

 

[corsair23]

At any rate, it excludes me from tagging along on your scenic route, since my 40 can't keep up with an 80. Or an 80 pulling a pop-up. or an 80 pulling a pop-up up a steep hill into a headwind...

Martin,

You can follow me or I'll follow you . Seriously though, when I drove my '76 FJ40 to Glenwood Springs back when I had no trouble running 65+ most of the time and it pulled the hills in 3rd gear just fine. I might pass you going downhill but I just can't see being able to keep up with you going up a long hill. But, this is coming from zero experience towing a pop-up with the LX so far. We'll see. Maybe Ken will give me a strap pull up the hills

 

[subzali]

Martin, on the hills you could keep up with an 80 pulling a camper. It's the flats where they can open up to 75 that they'll lose you.

And Bobzooki, I thought Rollins Pass was closed to all motor traffic.
Otherwise that'd be a cool alternative route in the fall!

 

[MDH33]

Just a bit of sarcasm. My 40 is actually pretty speedy, trounces my 60 in the hills, no problem. Guess my dry sense of humor doesn't translate well over the 'net.

 

[Rzeppa]

LOL! Nice thread!

I normally cruise 75 on the flat in my trail 40 to and from Moab every year. I always take the first Cisco turnoff (get me the HECK off this highway!!!). Plus that's a wonderful scenic route. When I'm limping home with patched-up trail-repaired parts I take 191, when I'm all good to go I take the scenic route back to I-70.

I would expect any of the several alternate southern routes would include an overnight to make it an enjoyable trip instead of a forced-march endurance run. Especially with family.

In my 1971 40 with stock F and stock carb, I normally average around 16-18 MPG and stop to refill and have lunch at around the halfway mark in Glenwood in each direction. On 5/1/04 I got 21.4 MPG into a headwind driving from Glenwood to Moab. This will be the first year driving up the passes with a 4 speed in that rig, it will be interesting to see what my terminal speed uphill will be in 3rd versus 2nd in the old 3-on-the-tree.

 

[MDH33]

LOL! Nice thread!

I normally cruise 75 on the flat in my trail 40 to and from Moab every year. I always take the first Cisco turnoff (get me the HECK off this highway!!!). Plus that's a wonderful scenic route. When I'm limping home with patched-up trail-repaired parts I take 191, when I'm all good to go I take the scenic route back to I-70.

I would expect any of the several alternate southern routes would include an overnight to make it an enjoyable trip instead of a forced-march endurance run. Especially with family.

In my 1971 40 with stock F and stock carb, I normally average around 16-18 MPG and stop to refill and have lunch at around the halfway mark in Glenwood in each direction. On 5/1/04 I got 21.4 MPG into a headwind driving from Glenwood to Moab. This will be the first year driving up the passes with a 4 speed in that rig, it will be interesting to see what my terminal speed uphill will be in 3rd versus 2nd in the old 3-on-the-tree.

Jeff, did you see Marks write-up on MUD about the "four on the tree"?

Four on the tree.