Driving in North Colorado...what to expect?

[Robert Coats]

Never been to Colorado before, but I have business in Hayden next week, and am flying in from Atlanta to Denver, then driving the rest of the way. The most direct route seems to be I-70 west to US-40, up through Steamboat Springs, about 200 miles total.

I would guess I-70 is in good condition, but tell me about US-40. What are the highest elevations along the way?
Is the road in decent shape all the way to Hayden?
What to look out for along the way?
Any places "you just gotta stop there!" worth seeing?
How about a place to each lunch along the way? Anything unusual and worth getting a photograph of would be cool.

I get into Denver mid-morning, and have all day to drive to Hayden, but how long should it take?

Any reason to stay on I-70 and then turn north in Eagle County (Wolcutt?) and drive up Route 130 instead?

[djmcmath]

You may find that the first view of the Rockies from across the plains is worth stopping for. If you were coming across on a more northerly route (through Kansas), you'd stop at (roughly) Agate, CO, to make the phone call home: "Thank God I'm not in Kansas anymore." Heck, if I was doing Georgia to Colorado, I might to Kansas just for the Pony Express stops.

[Joeaksa]

Keep an eye on the weather. Its still snowing in those parts this time of year, so dress warmly. Beautiful scenery...

JoeA

[mjohnson]

I seem to remember that CO 131 from Wolcott to Steamboat Springs was nice, even in the Geo Prizm that I had in college. That's on the list for this summer in our SC.

Looking at the map, you could head east from Oak Creek on CO 134 back to US 40 so you can go over Rabbit Ears Pass.

Stop in for lunch at the Dillon Dam brewery (in Dillon, obviously) or maybe a coffee at Summit County Roasters on Main St in Frisco.

Have fun!

mike

[Robert Coats]

Originally posted by Joeaksa
Keep an eye on the weather. Its still snowing in those parts this time of year

I sure hope so. Snow is thereason for the trip; I'm going to monitor a test of snowblowers.

[djmcmath]

Oh, and watch for flat tires. I messed up the rubber on my Civic in nearby rural Wyoming, and had a h3!! of a time trying to find rubber that small. I ended up calling tire shops from a tire shop that couldn't imagine having rubber that small, trying to find someone who had 15's. One shop replied, "Mister, wot kinda rig you _got_?" Yup yup yup, ended up driving nearly 100 miles on the baloon-spare to get to a shop that had anything small enough to fit.

So watch for flat tires in rural Colorado.