I-70 Madness - Colorado

[4aprice]

https://www.facebook.com/WarrenMillerEntertainment/videos/10154586262913719/

Every bit of comedy has some truth to it. Great stuff. Recognize quite a few spots on it.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[ironhippy]

TGR has a long running bitch fest about it

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php/275353-OFFICIAL-I70-BITCH-THREAD

Skimming that thread really makes me appreciate my local, small, not busy ski hill.
It may not have gnar terrain, but it's easy to get to.

 

[dlague]

Every morning when we are about to depart for skiing, we check out Waze. If it looks bad then we go the back way and ski Breck.

Alternatively, we have learned some side roads that parallel I-70 and they are pretty effective for getting around traffic. A little fore thought also helps.

Long weekends create busy Friday evenings. Better off going up Saturday mornings on those weekends.

We also try to ski Fridays and Sundays and skip Saturdays (not all - just on perceived busier days).

Either leave really early or arrive later like around 10 ish - 7-9 is the worst window heading west and 4-6 heading east on Sunday which is when we go out to dinner or take the back way.

We have been able to manage the traffic pattern pretty well and it has not been as problematic for us as many claim.

From now into June the traffic will not be that bad.

 

[4aprice]

When we were there in February you had to be at the I-70, US-6, C-470 interchange by 6 am to make decent time up into the mountains. The Saturday we went up to Winter Park we found it pretty busy to the top of Floyd Hill, then ok through Idaho Springs to Empire. Silver Plume and Georgetown are also supposed to be choke points, but not an issue going to WP. Sunday found traffic much lighter and not a bad ride through the tunnel to Copper.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[dlague]

Silver Plume and Georgetown are for sure as well as Dumont. In Georgetown, I think it is the Big Horn Sheep that slow people down when they are out. That is my story and I am sticking with it!

Out of the days we have been skiing we have had only one terrible trip. I day was not moving much but my wife, ever the navigator, looked up surface streets and roads and we got off in Everglade to and through Idaho Springs got back on then got off in Silver Plume to and through Georgetown and after that we were good.

Other then that we had 10-15 minute delays or avoided I-70 altogether.

 

[snoseek]

I'm a fan of going up through Clear Creek Canyon to avoid some of it.

 

[dlague]

I'm a fan of going up through Clear Creek Canyon to avoid some of it.

At least you are moving!

 

[BenedictGomez]

When we were there in February you had to be at the I-70, US-6, C-470 interchange by 6 am to make decent time up into the mountains.

I had no idea this was as bad as people say until perusing that thread. Good god in heaven. There's no way I could live in any of those mountain towns, sounds worse than the Long Island Expressway or the northern/southern state parkways, and for the life of me I dont know how or why people deal with that. I'd move. I have a brother who lives on Long Island, and I never visit his ass.

In Georgetown, I think it is the Big Horn Sheep that slow people down when they are out. That is my story and I am sticking with it!

As an easterner, I first saw Big Horn Sheep while driving from Banff to Edmonton, and I 100% did pull over, got out of the truck, took numerous pictures, and otherwise totally pulled a tourist geek-out.

 

[snoseek]

Its all good if you live west of summit county

 

[drjeff]

I had no idea this was as bad as people say until perusing that thread. Good god in heaven. There's no way I could live in any of those mountain towns, sounds worse than the Long Island Expressway or the northern/southern state parkways, and for the life of me I dont know how or why people deal with that. I'd move. I have a brother who lives on Long Island, and I never visit his ass.

A few years ago, me and the family were out at Vail for a ski week - we had a mid day Saturday flight back home out of Denver. It had snowed 12-18" the day before, and was a perfect bluebird day on Saturday. The line of traffic we drove by heading up into the mountains to ski/snowmobile on our way back down into Denver was from the Eisenhower tunnel stretching 10 plus miles East towards Denver (we went through the Eisenhower about 8:30AM)

That's one of the reasons why when we go to Colorado to ski, I've learned its very often worth the sacrifice of missing a 1/2 day on the front end or a half day on the back end of our ski week to make the I-70 drive at likely off peak traffic times (at then the only real variable that could come into play is the weather! )

 

[Jcb890]

I think large trucks is a big part of the problem. Not just that they are dangerous in general, but going up some of those steep grades, they're absolutely crawling going up. We didn't hit much traffic on I-70 during our trip, but whenever there was slow moving traffic, it was almost always caused by trucks slowing things down.

That and people are inconsiderate idiotic assholes and don't know how to drive in inclement conditions.

 

[ironhippy]

I think large trucks is a big part of the problem. Not just that they are dangerous in general, but going up some of those steep grades, they're absolutely crawling going up.

And then when they ignore the chain up signs, they stop moving altogether, blocking the road for everyone.

Following Dr Jeff's lead, I'd plan a Sunday - Saturday trip to Colorado. Fly in on Sunday, drive up to the mountains Sunday night, ski all week, drive back Saturday morning. That way you miss the traffic and a significant amount of the crowds.

 

[Jcb890]

And then when they ignore the chain up signs, they stop moving altogether, blocking the road for everyone.

Following Dr Jeff's lead, I'd plan a Sunday - Saturday trip to Colorado. Fly in on Sunday, drive up to the mountains Sunday night, ski all week, drive back Saturday morning. That way you miss the traffic and a significant amount of the crowds.

We went during MLK weekend and the "crowds" on Sunday and Monday were laughable compared to the crowds we get here on the East Coast. Sure, waiting for 10 minutes in lift line sucks, but that's about an average weekend out this way. Then, once you're on the trail there's so much more space for everyone you don't even notice the crowds.

As for I-70 traffic, we hit none. However, we stayed in Frisco, so we didn't deal with I-70 too much aside from the quick daily trip from Frisco to Copper and then from Denver to Frisco and Frisco to Denver. We arrived late Friday and drove from Denver to Frisco around 11 PM or Midnight, so there was no traffic. Our flight back was on Wednesday early PM, so we rode most of the day then got our stuff together and headed into Denver. No real traffic other than expected rush hour traffic in Denver.

 

[snoseek]

As a vacationer I-70 isn't really a deal breaker IMO as you only have to deal with it twice per trip and that can easily be planned around the peak time.

As a resident it was fucking infuriating over the course of time however. On any random day with fresh snow the odds of getting backed up were pretty good. The overall stupidity on that road is crazy. Just too many people living down there and not enough road to bring them to Summit. 285 back way was a regular thing for me and even then I saw a ton of shit go down there too.

I don't like getting up at 530 to drive to a mountain that's an hour away and doesn't open till 830 or 9 and when I'm done skiing I want to go home and cook dinner, not stroll around the village (although the Vail library is a great way to kill time and comfy!).

 

[Razor]

As a vacationer I-70 isn't really a deal breaker IMO as you only have to deal with it twice per trip and that can easily be planned around the peak time.

As a resident it was fucking infuriating over the course of time however. On any random day with fresh snow the odds of getting backed up were pretty good. The overall stupidity on that road is crazy. Just too many people living down there and not enough road to bring them to Summit. 285 back way was a regular thing for me and even then I saw a ton of shit go down there too.

I don't like getting up at 530 to drive to a mountain that's an hour away and doesn't open till 830 or 9 and when I'm done skiing I want to go home and cook dinner, not stroll around the village (although the Vail library is a great way to kill time and comfy!).

My kid moved to Ft.Collins over 10 years ago and bought an Epic Pass. After a few years of dealing with the traffic, he said the hell with it. Now he buys some 4 packs and only skis half a dozen times a year. Or he travels over Cameron Pass to Steamboat.

 

[Edd]

I'd plan a Sunday - Saturday trip to Colorado. Fly in on Sunday, drive up to the mountains Sunday night, ski all week, drive back Saturday morning. That way you miss the traffic and a significant amount of the crowds.

This is my MO for all western trips.

 

[deadheadskier]

I lose my mind when I'm stuck behind people going 45-50 in the 55 mph zones on route 16 heading to Wildcat. The I70 situation sounds intolerable. Any plans to improve the highway?

Sent from my XT1565 using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[snoseek]

I lose my mind when I'm stuck behind people going 45-50 in the 55 mph zones on route 16 heading to Wildcat. The I70 situation sounds intolerable. Any plans to improve the highway?

Sent from my XT1565 using AlpineZone mobile app

One can only hope. Lots of plans over the years but
Taxpayers don't want to pay which for many is understandable if they don't travel that 100 mile or so stretch of road during those hours.

Even in dry roads consider the right hand lane on georgetown hill as a truck lane, so really the left lane is only as fast as the slowest car. Even on a slow day with dry roads the highway just plain old sucks. It needs to be addressed big time.

A good cheap, efficient bus service Idk?

 

[dlague]

And then when they ignore the chain up signs, they stop moving altogether, blocking the road for everyone.

Following Dr Jeff's lead, I'd plan a Sunday - Saturday trip to Colorado. Fly in on Sunday, drive up to the mountains Sunday night, ski all week, drive back Saturday morning. That way you miss the traffic and a significant amount of the crowds.

That is what we did when we vacationed here.

Frankly though we found a good pattern and never really had that much of an issue. I really do not mind stopping for dinner if traffic looks bad. If it looks good then we head home immediately and eat locally. Very rarely do we eat at home after a day of skiing. The people who complain the most are the repeat offenders. If you know it can get busy at a certian time or on particular days then plan and go at a different time.

Sent from my SM-G930P using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[dlague]

I read something about trucks being a problem. They certainly are. People try to pass a slow truck and merge into tight spaces and then everything slows down. I think it would be wise to put a truck ban during busy hours.

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