Mount Evans Highway, a thrill of a drive.....
 

We have just returned from a 17 day driving trip which included the Old Falls River Road and the Trail Ridge Road in the RMNP, the Sawtooth Scenic highway, and the Going to the Sun Road to Glacier. We have previously traveled on the Bear Tooth Highway, the Needles Highway in S.D. and the Amalfi Coast highway in Italy.
While there may be wonderous highways yet to be driven, until then, in my own opinion, the scenic beauty and the thrill of the drive to the top of Mt Evans is unsurpassed......
Unfortuantely, I did not even get to the top....The last five miles from Summit Lake winding around to the top closed on Labor Day and we arrive the day after. The Ranger at Summit lake stated the last five miles were the worse to drive, so this may have been fortunate LOL... He did offer to let us walk it though, but we settled for a short walk around the lake to look over the rim of the world to the glacier lakes far below. On the way down we had a beautiful photo shot of a Big Horn grazing on the mountain side 20 feet above us.
If you like a "white knuckle" drive with no guard rails or barriers of any kind and still are able to keep your eyes open for the beautiful scenary, THIS IS THE DRIVE....
By the way, I cancelled our scheduled drive over the "Oh My God Highway" for the next day. I did not feel it right to infringe on God two days in a row. LOL. I will return for the last five miles, I will return for the last five miles, I will return for the last finve miles...LOL.

I have been on many of the same roads Trail Ridge Road, Going To The Sun, The Bear Tooth, Needles Highway and I have to say Mt. Evans while a spectacular drive was the scarest drive I have been on. We did it in mid July and it started to snow while we were on the top we didn't stay too long but by the time we left the road was covered with about an inch of sleet. They were sending the plow up as we were going down. This road is not for faint of heart at any time but snow covered was not good. As much as I love to be on the top of a mountain I was never so happy to be see the bottom.

TOPPING this report - its great!

We've done most of these drives
also but not Mt. Evans
as one of the
kiddies is terrified of heights.
Will definitely attempt it sometime
after reading your report.

Thanks for posting.

If you are in the vicinity of the MT/ID border on US-12 and want an exciting drive you may want to drive the Lolo Moterway. For this you will need a vehicle that has a high clearance 4 wheel drive is not a requirement... We were on it last July.. I would suggest a stop at the visitors center at Lolo Pass and check the current road conditions. The Motorway is a part of the path that Lewis and Clark took on their way to the west coast.

http://edbrenegar.typepad.com/photos...gns/index.html

I agree with You mmouse52, this is the scariest drive I've been on as well, and I didn't even get to do the last five miles and had no snow. LOL. Wonderlust, I have a slight to moderate fear of heights and I can undderstand how the kiddie feels. I tend to get a thrill "pushing" the limit sometimes and as much as I've been wondering if the last five miles would have been the limit, I know I will return, I know I will return, I know I will return.... LOL.
RedRock. Thanks for the info on the Lolo Motorway. I was not aware of Mt Evans until planning this trip. I had wanted to vist the Lolo Pass area since reading about the Nez Perce flight from Gereral Crook over this pass into Montana. This motorway gives me another reason for spending a week in the Polson area. Thanks.

Before you get to Lolo from the MT side you can stop at Fort Fizzle. They have marked the spot where this hastily built "fort" was erected to try and block Chief Joseph's path after Big Hole. If time allows drive ID Highway 11 thru the Weippe Prairie and Idahos Gold Country... This is where Lewis and Clark met up with the Nez Perce. There is a Visitors Center located in the library in Weippe.. You can make the loop and it will return you to US12 at Orofino

I’ve never driven The Beartooth Hywy before but I do know it’s a bit less than 1100 ft. I have however driven the Needles Hywy and that by far while scenic is a lower level of elevation, more to the tune of 6600 ft. Mount Evans is 14264 ft. and does boast the highest paved road in North America…as local Coloradoans refer to it as one of their 52 “14er’s” mountain’s that are over 1400 ft elevations. All advisories for the area 14er’s in Colorado advise some sort of winter gear when climbing even in the summer months. As any one can contest and as myself being a novice to the sport with only 6 under my belt; Grays - 1, Evans - 2, Longs – 2 and Bierstadt – 1, I can say for 3 of my climbs I’ve encountered great weather at the bottom of the trail head but while summiting the weather changed within a few hours or even as quickly as 20 minutes. In upper elevation the weather can change for the worst quickly. It’s always important to be prepared for any kind of weather conditions in the upper elevations even if you’re driving…as anyone who’s been through the Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70 in Colorado, it can be Sunny and bright on one end and a literal snow storm on the other end…gotta love Colorado, see ya on the top!

Onmybike -- do you realize that you woke up a four year old posting?

oh well...