Driving in the Colorado mountains?
 

Is there anything difficult about driving in the Rockies, like in the RMNP area? I thought I saw some posts where a few people said it was scary? I will probably rent a compact car, and hopefully that will be up to the task. I have read about how you should drive in low gear to avoid vapor lock. I've always driven using D4, so hopefully I'll remember to use low gear.

Difficult and scary to me are two different things. It is not difficult to drive on paved highways in Colorado (Trail Ridge Road is a paved two lane highway-albeit one with many curves). Just do what you always do, stay between the lines.
Scary is another thing and whether or not you find driving in the Colorado mountains scary probably depends on where you're from and what you're used to. As you can imagine, driving through mountains entails going up and over them--so sometimes there are dropoffs (but once again if you stay between the lines, you'll be ok). Often those who are used to driving on flat roads find this somewhat scary. But the payoff is the gorgeous vistas you get to enjoy.
As to what gear to us, we have always had vehicles with manual transmissions, so can't advise you there. Though on long down hill grades, we do go to a lower gear to avoid overusing and overheating the brakes.

Just try to keep your eyes on the road.


That's important....


and sometimes hard to do.

There is no problem driving on the main highways in the mountains. You will be slow up the grades in a compact especially, but I have labored in a Suburban on some also. Your automatic transmission will gear down for a grade, so you can "help"it by doing it manually. Sometimes more important is not riding your brakes DOWN a steep grade and gearing down to allow your engine to do some of the slowing. It isn't difficult driving, and it is pretty. Stay in the right lane if you are going slow.

As a flat lander, I find I go much slower than most drivers out there (sorry guys!). I always use the pull outs to let others pass. I feel if I do that and keep others off my bee-hind I'm not pressed to go faster than I'm comfortable with.

There is no problem driving in the Rockies. The roads are designed to be safe at the posted speeds.

<i> a few people said it was scary?&lt;/&gt; Some people confuse &quot;scary&quot; with &quot;exhilarating,&quot; &quot;stimulating,&quot; and &quot;thrilling.&quot;

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Vapor lock is pretty rare nowadays, not really something you have to worry about.

As a previous poster mentioned, please use the pullouts and let people go by if you're going really slow.