Taking Hwy50 form Montrose to Colorado Springs~

fanrgs ~~ Thanks (lots & lots &) lotsa good info ~ but not what i'm looking for this trip.

For information on camping and sightseeing along US 50, Salida, Monarch Pass, Gunnison, and the Black Canyon, see my blog at https://2fanrgs.blogspot.com.

Oops, forgot to go to the "Advanced Post Form" for my link!

maddog348 wrote:
Bill ~~ Rushmore never in this trip plans. Just a while in Colo. then head home. Since you are into routing ?? What is time difference in taking 50 over Monarch to Cañon City As opposed to cutting off South at 114 then catching 285 North back up to 50 and heading on East to Cañon City by passing the Pass?? ~~ Just Curious. Thanks for your thoughts.

Not Bill here...but it's an alternative. Some would say it's beautiful, others might say it's rather...boring. There's still a pass -- North Cochetopa (or just North) Pass, at about 10,150 feet. Barely noticeable by Colorado standards, no views/vistas of any sort. Good paved road, but not a lot of open vistas.

Given the choice, my preference would be Monarch, for the aerial tram that takes you up on the south side of the pass to a visitor's center where the views are unsurpassed.

Bill ~~ Rushmore never in this trip plans. Just a while in Colo. then head home. Since you are into routing ?? What is time difference in taking 50 over Monarch to Cañon City As opposed to cutting off South at 114 then catching 285 North back up to 50 and heading on East to Cañon City by passing the Pass?? ~~ Just Curious. Thanks for your thoughts.

maddog348 wrote:
How is the road?? Anything scary??

Maddog is this part of the Trip to Rushmore?

If so look this over as a less Interstate Route:)

MAP

Added a few stops just in case you needed more to do. Interesting drive that would certainly beat driving up I-25 and all that traffic. Ity being the Fall and all if it is late September this would be even better as the Aspen will be changing in the passes first then the Valleys.

Just a thought,

Bill

Devo ~~ Cool Post ~~ Thanks

I have done that with 80,000 lbs, many truckers do. It's just another mountain pass if you drive mountains regular. If not the secrets watching your speed and don't ride the brakes. You can go down 100's of times too slow, only once too fast. Use lower gears on the down hill and save the breaks.

We drove it last year during the heat wave and fires in Colorado. It was a piece of cake for a 2005 F350 with a V10.

We took 50 across Nevada to Ely and spent the night there. Then to Delta Utah (beautiful city park), to Green River Utah and stayed overnight at the State park. Then, to Montrose Colorado, over Monarch Pass and stayed in Divide. My niece and fiancé were at the Academy in Colorado Springs and got married in Black Forest.

Here was the profile and a few photos

Keep in mind the weather can be beautiful at the bottom but when you get near the top it can be a different story.

My first trip over the pass (eat to west) was during the first week in November 1972 in a 1966 Econline I'd fitted with a heater and a bed. Like I said, the weather before the climb was beautiful. As I got higher, it began to snow. The Econline had a carburetor and the higher it got the less pep it had. I had the throttle to the floor as I sped ever upward at about 10mph in the snow. It didn't have enough power to spin the tires (I had no chains - just all season tires) in the snow! I became a little nervous but as long as I was moving forward, we continued on. A snow plow passed going down the hill as I approached the top. As I rounded a curve at the very top, there was a pickup truck with a snowmobile in the bed off in the ditch on the other side of the road. He was lucky to have run off there because most of the road has no guardrail - the snowplows push the snow over the side into the valley below. I was relieved to be over the pass and headed down. We pulled over and played in the snow and packed our cooler with snow. We were on a two week vacation and I never did buy any ice for the cooler. I had to take my vacation in the winter back then because I serviced HVAC/R and couldn't get away during prime vacation time. Drove from St Louis to San Diego and back in two weeks. Haven't taken a trip where I saw so much of America in such a short time since but that's what you do when your young and adventurous. Monarch Pass, I remember it well! (That Econline was never the same after that climb.)

Heading east up the pass is mostly three lane with a passing lane in the uphill direction. Use tranny to keep speed in check downhill. Nothing scary about this pass.

There is a tram and gift shop at the top of the pass.