Rebecca_Brinkley

I am strongly considering a one-way move from Grand Rapids, MI to the Vancouver, WA (AKA Portland, OR) area to be closer to family. I'm hoping to recruit a friend to make the trip with me. I'd be stopping along the way to sleep, either at motels or at friends' houses depending on the route. Oh, and I will have a cat with me as well.

This would most likely be shortly after Thanksgiving-clearly not the best driving weather. I have a Toyota 4 Runner with 4WD and it would be packed to the gills with all my worldly possessions and potentially towing a small U-Haul trailer as well.

I welcome any suggestions on the best routes to take!

Bobmrg

Based on several trips between Seattle and Oshkosh, WI, my advice would be to go south on 94 until it turns into 94/80 near Gary, then 80 to Salt Lake City to pick up I-15; north on I-15 to pick up 84 into Portland. The climb from your elevation to 6000 feet at Cheyenne is gradual; the descent from Evanston, Wyoming down to Salt Lake is fairly steep. Pray for good weather.

Which brings up the subject of the trailer. How much experience do you have in towing? You will be traveling at a nasty time of year.

Rebecca_Brinkley

I decided against a trailer. The weather will be too iffy and the stuff I have is not worth the $400 price tag of the trailer rental.

Any ideas on roads that might be closed at that time or how I even find out what roads are closed??

Rebecca_Brinkley

Also, how long did it take you? Since I will have another person with me, I want to drive as much as possible and try to time it so that the worst mountain roads are during the day. What are the worst portions-aside from the descent you mentioned?

tomfuller

If you have the hitch receiver on your vehicle, you could buy a rack for much less than $400. http://www.fasttrackracks.com/store/...rgo-Racks.aspx
There is a rest area at the high point on I-80 between Cheyenne and Laramie. If the weather is bad, stop in Cheyenne and wait until morning before heading west.

Bobmrg

Good decision. You can check closures of interstates at www.fhwa.dot.gov/trafficinfo.

Read the papers, watch the TV, stay alert for severe weather warnings. We used to allow five days in a motorhome between Seattle and Oshkosh. You're on the other side of Lake Michigan, but OTOH you are driving a more sprightly car. We are also older than dirt and usually stopped for the evening at 4 or 5 PM; don't like to drive at night.

Bobmrg

Worst portions? Once again, these are interstates, and the highway builders have done everything possible to avoid "worst." I didn't mean to call the downhill portion of I-80 between Evanston, WY and SLC as scary in any way....it was just the combination of the trailer, the slope, and the possibility of snow that made me mention it.

If you take 80 you will have to stop at North Pole, Wyoming. Gas, food, souvenirs, beds. There are signs advertising it for at least 100 miles on either side. It defines "tourist trap."

NorthwestMale

Hi,

In case nothing else makes it clear, the people who are in charge of clearing the roads in/near the Rockies are far more efficient than is the case in many other areas of northern U.S.A.

I was even surprised to find that the rules for chaining up on I-70 west of Denver were far less restrictive than in other mountain regions.

I think it might be a good idea to drive steadily until you reach the eastern edge of the Rockies and then anticipate a window of time spent there (a day or two)... during which you can rest up a bit and just GO (over the mountains) when it stops snowing.

Driving the I-70 (Denver) path the morning after a significant blizzard saw "compact snow and ice on (parts of) the roadway", but it really was quite passable relative to what it is in mountains elsewhere so soon after a big storm.

(LOL - at the same time, I-70 east to the Kansas border was CLOSED due to white-out conditions - that's all flat)

So... expect to be able to make it, but keep your eyes peeled for 'windows of opportunity'.

Bobmrg

I waffled a bit between recommending 70 instead of 80, but the altitude at Vail was enough to cause me to reject that idea. Last time I went through the Eisenhower Tunnel with my 2005 Corolla it was gasping for breath.