Sacramento to Detroit beginning 2 April - best routes

[ice2fire]

We're thinking of driving to Sacramento to see sick friends, then driving back to Detroit. No sightseeing needed on the way. Just need to get home ASAP !

I see two options:

1) 1.1 South from Sacramento to Bakersfield on I5
1.2 Onto Detroit on I40,I44, etc

2) 2.1 North from Sacramento to Salt Lake City on I80
2.2 Onto Detroit on I88 etc

So, go North or South at the beginning of April ?

Weather is my major concern at that time of year. Thanks

[ice2fire]

OK everyone !! Thank you very much.

[brooks379]

Been driving semis from NY to CA and back since 1976 steady..never had any other job and this is what we do. Check the weather from CA to Nebraska real close if it is calling for good weather for 2 or 3 days go across I 80 to I 94 to the motor city... If it is calling for bad weather go south 99 to 58 east to I 40 east to OK City pickup I44 to ST Louis to I 70 east to I57 north to I 80 east to I94 to the motor city.....It can snow any where at any time along those routes but... probably not.

[Executive45]

The "Grapevine" is on I-5 south of Bakersfield headed towards Los Angeles. Think going UP 7-8% grade for about 2 miles, then 5-6% downgrades for another 20 miles into LA. If you head over CA58 there's two things to look for. One is the Tehapchapi Loop which is a corkscrew for the trains, (28-30 trains/day) Because of the grades they have to climb, they designed a corkscrew where the engines pass over the rest of the train as it climbs the grade. Lots of info on Google with pictures. Watching is free and there's plenty of places for viewing. Also, once you get towards the town of Mojave, look off to the right and you'll see the storage lot for thousands of airplanes from all airlines from jumbo jets to 737s. They store them out in the desert for the dry climate. One of those "Look at that" moments...enjoy the area and enjoy the trip...Dennis

[haddy1]

You just have to watch the weather and make the call when you are ready to leave. A few years back, we had to install chains over Donner Pass on May 12.

[Thom02099]

April can be among the snowiest months in Wyoming. I-80 across Wyoming in a snowstorm (not old snow on the ground) is not for the faint of heart. The good news is you'll probably have a tail wind! As with everything weatherwise, timing is essential.

[ice2fire]

Executive wrote:
South....the northern route will probably still have some snow...

Are you thinking of taking Ca58 out of Bakersfield through Mojave? There's a large grade outside of Bakersfield..doable but just plan on it. Not quite as bad as the Grapevine....Dennis

Hadn't got down to that level of detail yet ! But I agree with you, going South wold probably be better.

So looking at the map, I see the CA58 seems to be the best route to get (going South) from the I5 to the I40 ?

I guess the grade is UP going south from Bakersfield ? How far out from Bakersfield ? I think I'll be OK with the YUKON and the small trailer. The YUKON has 6 gears and a 3.47 transmission ratio, and the trailer is 3800lbs. Never had a problem yet.

Where is the "Grapevine" ? Seems to be a good idea to avoid that. This will be completely new area for us. Thanks.

[paulj]

Unless things are nasty over the Sierras, I would take I80 all the way to Indiana, and then I94 into Michigan. I wouldn't worry much about old snow. Fresh snow is possibility anywhere along the route. But the same can be said for I40 past Flagstaff, or western plains (with the added issue of thunderstorms and tornadoes).

[Executive45]

South....the northern route will probably still have some snow...

Are you thinking of taking Ca58 out of Bakersfield through Mojave? There's a large grade outside of Bakersfield..doable but just plan on it. Not quite as bad as the Grapevine....Dennis