Crossing the Rockies

[JustPassinThru]

Hi all

I found this while surfing the net and thought it might be helpful to new drivers. It's an audio CD talking you thru how to drive safely thru the Rockies on I-70. It is from the Colorado Motor Carriers Association.

http://www.cmca.com/crossing/Crossing_WB.htm

[jeepless]

ive come down that hill with my dad a year or so ago, eisenhouer that is. thats a gnarly hill.

[mikey4069]

Thats one hwy i dont think a new driver should be on until they have a years exp. just my 2 cents I-70 east bound can be a little nasty.

[Jackrabbit379]

Wolf Creek Pass is another one that is kinda rough going down. :P

[nrvsreck]

Just drive up and down and stay off the brakes.

[rickll]

thanks for the info ... I emailed them and asked for a C-D. We go over the 70 at least once a month and my wife is alway's upset ... hopfully this will calm her. yes the 70 has some hills but just drive slower then posted and you will have no problems unless you heat up the brakes I use the jake when ever i can.

[milehighdriver]

I drive I-70 everyweek. I see too many drivers headed west going too fast down the hills. Then I see them either up the run away truck ramp, or at the bottom of the hill with their brakes smoking or on fire. IMO, just go the 30 mile an hour speed limit and use your jake.

[TimberWolf]

Ah, Exit 249 Floyd hill and Clear Creek County My Home, I can remember just getting my license at 16 years old in Idaho Springs and getting to drive from Evergreen To Idaho Springs everyday during High School.
It seems stupid to me now but back then I can remember driving down I-70 at Floyd hill in my 67 Mustang at a topping out at 105 before applying brakes to make the curve at the beginning of the canyon, damn I wouldn't think about doing that now. My first job was at the top of Floyd Hill as a fry cook.
I even have memories of the first bore at Eisenhower tunnel coming out the west side when I-70 was just two lanes at certain spots.
Remember Glenwood canyon as a two lane road
Damn I miss Clear Creek County and Colorado lots of good memories there. To bad everybody and there brother, mother, sister and uncles have moved there and change the area so much.


It Is What It Is.

Timberwolf

[GMAN]

It is funny that people will move to a region because of what the area offers and the first thing they want to do is to start making changes. :?

[driver67373]

I've been up and down the grapevine, cabage patch, and the pass on 80 between sacremento and reno (know it starts with a D but can't think of the name). Are Eisenhower and Vail really that much worse than those? Cus those three I went over were a piece of cake. Just select the right gear and go down with your jakes on. I should be able to handle Eisenhower and Veil with pretty good ease right?

[crankyazz]

that would be Donner's pass, where they all had to resort to cannibalism. alot are pretty comparable to each other.

[inmate1577]

I'll go with I-70 as well.
Its always funny you hear some bonehead on the radio bitching because other drivers arent going fast enough for him and that he's done this run 200 times.
Just because I have shaved 200 times doesnt mean I wont cut myself the 201st time.

Whats the old line
You can go down a hill too slow many times, but you rarely get to go down the hill too fast more than once.

[driver67373]

I'll go with I-70 as well.
Its always funny you hear some bonehead on the radio bitching because other drivers arent going fast enough for him and that he's done this run 200 times.
Just because I have shaved 200 times doesnt mean I wont cut myself the 201st time.

Whats the old line
You can go down a hill too slow many times, but you rarely get to go down the hill too fast more than once.

You can go down a hill too slow as many times as you want, but you can only go down a hill too fast one time. My trainer ingrained that in me and I live by it and so far have never had trouble on a grade.

[nrvsreck]

All my experience at TMC had been in the east. Mostly the mountains in PA, WV, VA and such. In my time with Passmore I've been through CO twice, the second time during the blizzard just before Christmas. I can tell you Eisenhower and Vail are nothing, even in icy, white-out conditions. Just drive slow! Even Monarch on US-50 (I think) in icy conditions isn't bad if you go slow and easy.

[motman68]

I would agree Wolf creek is a scary road for a new guy when i was out with a trainer at TMC i was only on my 2nd week when i drove on highway 160 .The trainer kept telling me to drive faster then what the posted limits were.I drove all the way down to Cortez,Co .He drove back on highway 550 then on I-70 on the way back to Denver he drove like a maniac the whole way on I-70 we did atleast 80 plus on the hills on the way down with an 80,000 pound lumber load we picked up in Montrose,Co

[mikey4069]

I would agree Wolf creek is a scary road for a new guy when i was out with a trainer at TMC i was only on my 2nd week when i drove on highway 160 .The trainer kept telling me to drive faster then what the posted limits were.I drove all the way down to Cortez,Co .He drove back on highway 550 then on I-70 on the way back to Denver he drove like a maniac the whole way on I-70 we did atleast 80 plus on the hills on the way down with an 80,000 pound lumber load we picked up in Montrose,Co

I see tmc has good trainers !

[mikey4069]

Going down a steep grade with a curve at the bottom going 80 mph and there is a wreak just around the bend I just have one question HOW ARE YOU GOING TO STOP ?

[teamster]

Going down a steep grade with a curve at the bottom going 80 mph and there is a wreak just around the bend I just have one question HOW ARE YOU GOING TO STOP ?

With a bang!

[nrvsreck]

Going down a steep grade with a curve at the bottom going 80 mph and there is a wreak just around the bend I just have one question HOW ARE YOU GOING TO STOP ?

Doing 80 on some of those bends with a full load, you'll probably end up being the wreck at the bottom of the hill. Yeah, some of these trainers have a lot to learn themselves. I thought my trainer at TMC was bad, but some of the stories I've read here really leave me scratching my head.

[JustPassinThru]

I was just wondering:

When using an engine retarder, does a higher horse power engine have more braking power than a lower horse power engine?