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canada · Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Posts: 23 Location: Canada

Where are they and how long of a down grade are they? anybody know?

Thanks

4 AND A 1/2 · Joined: 27 Jul 2005 Posts: 15 Location: CENTRAL FLORIDA

PUT IT NEUTRAL -SHUT OFF THE BRAKES- PUT A TOWEL UNDER MY BUTT CLOSE MY EYES AND HOPE THERE IS NOT A CHICKEN COUPE AT THE BOTTOM O-YA HOPEFULLY IT'S FREEZING RAIN HA HA HA

COLT · Joined: 03 Jan 2006 Posts: 576 Location: FT ST JOHN

ROCKY.... HELLO ROCKY..... TELL ABOUT THE SALMO CRESTON... (THATS WHAT IT WAS WAS CALLED WHEN I WAS A PUP) JUST REMEMBER, THEY DO'NT PAVE THE "BIG ONES"

yoopr · Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 12866

Usually ALWAYS a Coop at the Bottom :P

Windwalker · Joined: 22 Oct 2005 Posts: 2822 Location: Holiday, FL

Let's see.... How long are they??? I checked the odometer at the top of one hill, and after going down and back up again... 42 miles to the next peak. That would suggest about 21 miles of down grade (6% ) and another 21 miles of upgrade (also 6%). I-70 in CO and UT, I-80 in NV... Look around out that way. They're not hard to find.

RockyMtnProDriver · Joined: 12 Jun 2005 Posts: 1558 Location: Cranbrook BC

COLT wrote: ROCKY.... HELLO ROCKY..... TELL ABOUT THE SALMO CRESTON... (THATS WHAT IT WAS WAS CALLED WHEN I WAS A PUP) JUST REMEMBER, THEY DO'NT PAVE THE "BIG ONES"

Here is how it lays out.

West side

8 miles of 8%, then 8 miles of 5 to 7%

East side 20 miles of 5 to 8%

Top of the hill is just under 6,000 feet.

I have probably driven a truck over it close to 2,000 times.

Here it is in the winter, at the top, with one of our students out on his mountain run.

http://www.rockymtnprodrivers.com/Picture%20Pages/pict.1.html

It can be a very cold and lonely place at 3:00 am in the morning in February.

But I have also seen the Northern Lights so brilliant it blocked out the stars, it was almost like I could reach up and touch the face of God.

Sizzle · Joined: 10 Oct 2006 Posts: 207 Location: Colorado

I live in Colorado so the Rockies are formidable going west of Denver. Don't know the grades but assume the person who responded knows the statistics very well.

I too agree that I-70 west of Denver is tough and I-80 west of Reno. Most western drivers talk about Donner [I-80 west of Reno] and Cabbage [in Oregon as the two they are least fond of. Cabbage is switch backs all the way down the mountain heading west. I've been fortunate enough to only due Cabbage in good weather. Been over Donner in both. Frankly, going east is a much longer down grade. I think going west is much easier. Although, I didn't like chaining up that's for sure.

My policy was going to be if I have to chain it-it's getting parked. Unfortunately, I was in the slow lane and was told by CHP I had to chain-there wasn't a shoulder to pull off on to. EECCKK. Sat up there for six hours with snow coming down continuously. My trailer started sliding down the hill and curve I was on after the sixth hour. Wasn't much fun with four idiot 4-wheelers below me who wouldn't move.

I don't understand why people don't talk about I-5 coming out of Oregon into California. That's the ONLY place I've burned up my brakes. That's a hell of a long grade. You're either down shifting going up or jac braking going down.

You'll see people avoid I-70 west of Denver by going due north on I-25 to I-80 in Cheyenne and going west on I-80. Although, Elk Mountain [Wyoming] in the winter time isn't a piece of cake either. This isn't due to the grades so much as the blizzards. If the wind is blowing you are in Wyoming-don't think there's such a thing as calm winds in Wyoming. I drove 10 miles one day during a driving blizzard without being able to see the hood of my truck. All the drivers were talking to each other on the radio so we could avoid each other. Not a good idea to stop in a blizzard and park on the shoulder. You could be hit from behind-don't think getting the tandems knocked out from below you would feel good!

So the formidable ones have all been described above. I think one of the drivers was talking about Alaska or the Canadian Rockies. Those were very dangerous as well heading north of Vancouver, British Columbia.

Had some great experiences in 28 months. Been all over the lower 8 Canadian provinces and the U.S. Only missed going to Mississippi, Louisiana and Vermont.

I-77 in West Virginia is a formidable drive in a freight truck as well-particularly during ice storms. The grades are steep and up and down all the way on I-77.

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