Routes from Moab to Ridgway to CO Springs?
Hi, - We plan to drive from Moab to Ridgeway SP on the 191, 46, 90, 145 & 62 - Then from Ridgway to CO Springs on the 50, 285 & 9 - Or an Alternative: Ridgway SP to Lake Pueblo SP using 50 ...
Forum Discussion
Ridgway to CS is easiest going via highway 50 over Monarch Pass then through Canon City to CO 115 (in my opinion). There is a short section of one lane road construction east of Gunnison as well as a warm up pull of 4 miles east of Gunnison before you get to the 7 mile pull up Monarch Pass. Hwy 115 is an easy drive.
Use your transmission on the downhill sections of 50, not your brakes so much and you will be fine. Take your time, there is no need to race up or down the mountain. Hwy 50 is not nearly as rough as I found Interstate 70. The two passes on 70 coupled with Interstate levels of traffic are not much fun with a truck and camper.
I don't know all of your Moab route, but as long as you stay away from Hwy 550 between Ridgway and Durango you should be fine. The roads I have driven from Durango to Moab are basically flat from Cortez. Even the route from Cortez to Ridgway is not at all bad. Your route looks like it is mostly flat from Moab (flat is a relative thing in Colorado).
The turbo chargers on modern diesel trucks really take the effort out of the mountain passes. You simply do not have power limitations from altitude. What is limited is the engine and transmission cooling capacities. I have never had issues pulling uphill as long as the cooling fan kicks into high speed. Transmission gets a little warmer than usual when pulling uphill in lower gears or going downhill in lower gears (I really like tow/haul mode on my Chevy Duramax/Allison combo).
Use your transmission on the downhill sections of 50, not your brakes so much and you will be fine. Take your time, there is no need to race up or down the mountain. Hwy 50 is not nearly as rough as I found Interstate 70. The two passes on 70 coupled with Interstate levels of traffic are not much fun with a truck and camper.
I don't know all of your Moab route, but as long as you stay away from Hwy 550 between Ridgway and Durango you should be fine. The roads I have driven from Durango to Moab are basically flat from Cortez. Even the route from Cortez to Ridgway is not at all bad. Your route looks like it is mostly flat from Moab (flat is a relative thing in Colorado).
The turbo chargers on modern diesel trucks really take the effort out of the mountain passes. You simply do not have power limitations from altitude. What is limited is the engine and transmission cooling capacities. I have never had issues pulling uphill as long as the cooling fan kicks into high speed. Transmission gets a little warmer than usual when pulling uphill in lower gears or going downhill in lower gears (I really like tow/haul mode on my Chevy Duramax/Allison combo).
