Co. highway 550 south

When you really want your adrenaline level to go up? pass an 18 wheel gravel truck in the middle of Deception Pass bridge. You realize how important it is to have your coach in your lane, with inches between you and the truck and 400' off the water.

we do this most every time we leave the Island.

Deception Pass Bridge.

After doing the internet research, and the advice here we have decided to do this portion of the trip on the return, later in the month. This will enable us to enter Durango from the south, do the base camp there and day trip with the Jeep. It wasn't until I realized that the highway went above 10,000 feet that I considered how well diesel do at that altitude. I am comfortable with mountain driving, But I like to look around too, rather than white knuckle the center line while being a pest to the other traffic. This timing will allow us to do Mesa Verde National park after the 1st of April. After all, if it is possible to go there why not see the whole thing.

Thanks for all the advice and web sites which made it possible to do this safely.

Lots of heavy weather moving across the western states this week. THAT will dictate where we go.

Someone mentioned North Cascades Highway -- much easier than 550, in my opinion.

Busskipper wrote:


When it comes to Colorado, Ken is the best resource on the forum,

JMHO,

And we are great full for his opinion.

Busskipper wrote:
As Lauren says just be smart!

Check this web site as the snow is usually much heavier in the late season (Through May) so seeing actual conditions is a help. Having driven many of the Colorado passes in the winter/spring/snow, I can say they deserve your utmost respect.

JMHO,

That web site is a big help.

4runnerguy wrote:

Tom/Barb wrote:
If this truly is the Highway I see it as no more problem as the north cascade highway. Not a fast road for sure.. but it is better than Highway 2 east out of Wenatchee Wa Curvey and heavy traffic to Waterville. and a whole lot better than Shell Canyon Wy. Or the road to the north rim of the Grand Canyon.

When we drive this road, we generally do it at the speed shown in this video ;)

No, none of the roads you've mentioned are anything at all like US 550. Highway 2 isn't even in the same league. I can't think of anything going out to the Grand Canyon that is remotely the same. And CA 1 south of Leggett has some switchbacks, but no place to head over a 500' cliff.

Have you driven the Beartooth Highway NE out of Yellowstone? Many fear that route, but it has guardrails. It's not necessarily the grades nor the curvatures that scare people on US 550. It's the wall of rock to one side and a sheer cliff of hundreds of feet on the other with no guardrail. The hardest part may be meeting people coming the other way who are so scared they take their half of the road out of the middle!

That being said, thousands of RV's take that route every year. Many have a trailer of ATV's behind them. Semi's drive that route too (but it's not a main trucking route, most will detour around unless it's local deliveries. But all of these RV and semi drivers are real comfortable with mountain driving. If you are, then I say go for it.

But do watch the weather conditions if you are thinking late April. That's still winter in the San Juan Mountains. Even if it hasn't snowed in a couple of days, melting in the day time can put water on the road that refreezes in the evening, so plan you trip sometime after mid-morning to avoid the ice.

As far as construction, I don't believe there is any going on right now. I haven't heard if there's any planned this summer, but construction just doesn't accomplish much in the winter.

When it comes to Colorado, Ken is the best resource on the forum,

JMHO,

I clicked on the video and OMG do I miss those mountains, truly almost Heaven.

Just Imagine them in Fall.

JMHO,

Busskipper

Tom/Barb wrote:
If this truly is the Highway I see it as no more problem as the north cascade highway. Not a fast road for sure.. but it is better than Highway 2 east out of Wenatchee Wa Curvey and heavy traffic to Waterville. and a whole lot better than Shell Canyon Wy. Or the road to the north rim of the Grand Canyon.

When we drive this road, we generally do it at the speed shown in this video ;)

No, none of the roads you've mentioned are anything at all like US 550. Highway 2 isn't even in the same league. I can't think of anything going out to the Grand Canyon that is remotely the same. And CA 1 south of Leggett has some switchbacks, but no place to head over a 500' cliff.

Have you driven the Beartooth Highway NE out of Yellowstone? Many fear that route, but it has guardrails. It's not necessarily the grades nor the curvatures that scare people on US 550. It's the wall of rock to one side and a sheer cliff of hundreds of feet on the other with no guardrail. The hardest part may be meeting people coming the other way who are so scared they take their half of the road out of the middle!

That being said, thousands of RV's take that route every year. Many have a trailer of ATV's behind them. Semi's drive that route too (but it's not a main trucking route, most will detour around unless it's local deliveries. But all of these RV and semi drivers are real comfortable with mountain driving. If you are, then I say go for it.

But do watch the weather conditions if you are thinking late April. That's still winter in the San Juan Mountains. Even if it hasn't snowed in a couple of days, melting in the day time can put water on the road that refreezes in the evening, so plan you trip sometime after mid-morning to avoid the ice.

As far as construction, I don't believe there is any going on right now. I haven't heard if there's any planned this summer, but construction just doesn't accomplish much in the winter.

I've ridden that road many times on my motorcycle and EVERY trip we find someone with a big coach chugging, smoking, going up the hill at a whopping 20 MPH with a mile of cars and semi's behind them.

Gong north to south is better as most of the time you are on the mountain side and your wife is not in cardiac arrest and yelling at you to the top of her lungs. A lot of northbound campers are over the center line as they are scared to death of the no-guard rail side of the road.

Can it be done? Sure but you won't be comfortable.

As Lauren says just be smart!

Check this web site as the snow is usually much heavier in the late season (Through May) so seeing actual conditions is a help. Having driven many of the Colorado passes in the winter/spring/snow, I can say they deserve your utmost respect.

JMHO,