Passin Thru wrote:
You can also take I 25 S to Co Spg. then West on 24 through Woodland Park to 82 to I 70 and west. That would avoid steep grades except for the pull out of Co Spg to Woodland Park which is uphill and scenic also but lot's of out-of-the-way. For a flatlander it isn't all that bad a route as there are no steep overhangs on the right side and 24 is 4 lane the first 20 miles.
Well, 82 isn't for the faint of heart nor the large vehicle. Possibly the narrowest CO state highway in the state.
However, he does bring up a point. You could take US 285 out of Denver over Kenosha Pass down to US 24 in Buena Vista. North through Leadville and the easy approach to Tennessee Pass. Then down through Minturn and back to I-70 west of Vail Pass. Both passes would be easier pulls than those on I-70, but there are some switchbacks heading down off Tennessee Pass, just before the Homestake Reservoir turnoff, and again right before Minturn. These are 20 MPH and 25 MPH curves on 6% grades, so you decide if that's what you want to do or whether you'd prefer the longer, steeper pulls on I-70 without such sharp corners on the 7% downhill. As I noted, the I-70 route is packed with RV's on summer weekends, so it can't be too bad.
