I-70 West from Denver

[Gil_J]

If you've driven west out of Denver to UT, how was the drive? I could go north out of Denver to avoid a lot of grades, but I doubt the northern route would be as scenic.

[Joe Camper]

The only time I drove that was in 83, in a 73 cuda 340 on my way home to Chicago from Camp Pendelton. That is a world class drive vivid memories still remain. Yes grades. Dont let it defer u there be plenty of slow loaded trucks to keep u company on the grades.

Its an interstate highway. U arent scared to run that Canadian P model up an interstate highway r u??

[Danss]

Was there 2 weeks ago and no problem!

[Fratto]

Wow, a '73 Cuda ... That would be an awesome drive!

[Joe Camper]

See that Gill, Dan aint skeert.

U go over the top about 50 miles west of Denver. It skirts the river along the way. U wont be sorry u went that way.

[Loc]

Gil,

This is a great drive (for the scenery). There are two real grades. The first is about 15 miles to get to the top of Eisenhower Pass (not too bad generally 5% to 6% grade except for a two to three mile stretch around Georgetown which is 8%). Coming down from the top of Eisenhower it is a good 8 miles of 6% to 7% grade with a really good view. The other grade is the Vail Pass (it is shorter with 6% to 7% grade for about 8 miles). Both of these passes are steeper on the west side. The great thing about heading west on I-70 is getting to drive through Glenwood Canyon which is about 14 miles of really beautiful canyon with some of the most creative road engineering for its time. I have done the route heading both east and west and never had an issue. Its not a fast trip, but easily doable in the bus. It is a much, much more interesting drive that heading up to I-80 and driving across Wyoming. Easy diesel fuel in Denver or Grand Junction. In between there is fuel but much more difficult to get to. I took the I-80 route once to avoid the grades on I-70. I won't do that again.

[Ck2hans]

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Just outside Anchorage Alaska, 10%-12% grade for 5 miles. No wonder most of the charter tour buses in Alaska are Prevost. Lower 48 mountains use to give me cold chills until we went to Alaska, still have a high level of respect for the lower 48 mountains, just sweat a little less.

[MLJR]

Took I-70W in early April. It’s a fantastic drive, and no problem.

[Fratto]

I assume on these steep down hills you guys are using the jake brake on high and gearing the trans down to hold you speed?

[Joe Camper]

Any or all the above. It depends on the percent of grade and the length. There r 2 basic aproaches to driving mountians and controling speed without the added help of a jake and or a trans brake and its not unsafe to run mountians without them if u know how to drive them.

1st is the slight steady pressure on the brake all the way down with a lower gear and the other is the stab. I have always used the stab.

Pick the gear that max rpm in that gear is the fastest speed thats comfortable for that dissent. Let the bus roll out till just before u get to that rpm maybe 100 short of that then give the brake a firm hard application for 4 or 5 seconds and thats usually enough to drag the rpms back low enough so when u release the brakes u can coast for a min. or so before u have to do that again. 4 or 5 sec of hard braking every min or so and u will never overheat the brakes driving mountians this way.

The use of the jake or trans brake sweetens the pie even more.

Whatever speed the incline drug u down to on your way up is probably a pretty close reference to the safe comfortable max speed down the other side.

Even on some moderatly tougher mountians a lower gear and a higher setting on the jake or trans brake is all thats required and u will roll all the way down without even touching the brake. If a stab is still nessessary it will be much less frequent like once or twice the entire ride down.

Theres 6 variables for sure overall weight, amount of grade, length of grade, gear choice, jake setting and speed chosen.

Time behind the wheel refines these methods tremendously. The decision u make at the top is what u have to deal with at the bottom. If that scares u it was ment to. Slower is better till u get a feel for what u got.

Great question hope this helps.