HWY 9 in Colorado

It's an easier pass than most others across the Continental Divide. Steeper and more hairpins on the west side than on the east, so you need to slow down at the top and use your exhaust brake, and not your hydraulic brakes, on the downhill. Some of the hairpins have a 15-25 MPH speed limit and that's for cars, not RVs. If you don't have an exhaust brake, put it in a lower gear at the top of the pass and leave it there until you get to the straight part of the highway along the Blue River.

If you have time to stop along US 24, take a look at my new blog HERE. Florissant Fossil Beds NM is worth an hour or two visit.

It will be slow and, in some spots, a bit of a challenge for a 5er.

I personally have never found it to be a problem. You will driving up the easier side. As mentioned other side has a few hairpins and steeper with a section that is 8%. Road is plenty wide on the turns if your slowing/braking exhaust and hydraulic power is ok you should have no problem

Jakessweetthing wrote:
We are going to be at Mueller State Park Colorado, We are towing a 5th wheel and want to know if anyone has taken HWY 9 from Fairplay to Frisco through Breckenridge before and on to I70 ? We want to go to Glenwood Springs .

I'd just take 24 to Buena Vista - up to Leadville then across to Minturn - coming out at I-70,

Only spot that might cause some people/drivers/passengers a concern would be the short drive to Minturn after Red Cliff - We do it all the time, so it's a non issue. this route has no steep grades up and only a short bit that goes down on the inside lane from Red Cliff to Minturn.

Allows you to miss two of the steeper passes - Hoosier (8 per cent) and Vail (7 per cent).

Just would be My Prefered route if I were heading to Glenwood Springs. All gradual grades on the Roads and Just Beautiful places to Drive.

JMHO,

Keep in mind the OP is from KS, all of the rest of us have had mountain driving experience (I lived in CO and now still spend a lot of time mountain driving - leave Tues for 2 months in CO).

FWIW, I agree with Busskipper.

BarryG20 wrote:
I personally have never found it to be a problem. You will driving up the easier side.

I've never had a problem with it either. But I have lived in Colorado for 54 years, not Kansas like the OP does.

Jakessweetthing wrote:
We are going to be at Mueller State Park Colorado, We are towing a 5th wheel and want to know if anyone has taken HWY 9 from Fairplay to Frisco through Breckenridge before and on to I70 ? We want to go to Glenwood Springs .

Just curios - what did you do?

FYI on the Glenwood Springs part, as I'm typing this from Glenwood Springs...

If you need to tow through Glenwood Springs heading south towards Aspen, I would avoid the main route (exit 116) that goes through the main part of town. It really is a nightmare with the new bridge construction going on and two very narrow lanes each direction over the very old bridge. Multiple trips over that bridge without my TT and many times people are on the center double yellow lines making it even more narrow. That and the stop and go traffic through that section, people getting tickets for blocking intersection traffic... just avoid it.

A much preferred route would be to take Exit 114 (1 exit west of GS main exit) and then head south under I70 onto Midland Ave. Take Midland Ave south until you come to the round-a'bout at 27th Street. 27th Street will lead you back to Hwy 82 where you can continue south towards Aspen.

THANK you, Great advice. I think we have decided to take 24, and thank you for the advice getting around Glenwood Springs!