Driving through the Rockies... I-70

[350DRIVER]

TOGA,

First winter that I have not went there to ski and I miss it already.. Night life in Breck. was also enjoyable.


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[Dan CFI/CFII]

Skip 40. Especially this week. This morning it was closed eastbound from Albuquerque to Santa Rosa. Supposedly more storms coming later this week.

Summit County has been dry as all get out this year. No real reason to think that will change anytime soon.

You owe it to yourself to avoid the yuppie ski crap. It's all over I-70, but you will probalby be kind of hungry about the time you pass through Idaho Springs. An actual town along the interstate that hasn't been too taken over by the Starbucks crowd. Best pizza ever. I want to say the name of the place is Tommyknocker's, but I don't remember. I just know how to get there. Town's not that big, you can find it if you're hungry then.

Also, make sure you're full of Windshield Washer fluid, and carry a bit of kitty litter with you in case it gets a little slick off the Interstate.

Down with yuppies! I plowed snow this morning for three hours, in between pulling out five of them. I swear, the next time I see a GMC Yukon, I'm going to just pull them into the stuck H2.

Dan

 

[labbats]

I lived in Idaho Springs for 6 months. That town is a dump. But in the summer, there is a sweet switchback that goes into the mountains behind it, past a broken down commune, and into Central City/Blackhawk. Very cool indeed.
I think the pizza place is Bo something or other in the middle of town. Been awhile.

 

[DenverDude2002]

Labbats, I believe that road is called Oh My God road. But theres a new 4 lane road going a few miles from it to connect central city to idaho springs, biggest waste of 50 million I've ever seen in my life. The Central City casinos are payin for it. Idaho Springs is a cool mining town, i wish i could break into some of those mines.

Dan, I assume you live down in southwestern colorado, maybe cortez area?

 

[labbats]

Yeah, I worked at a casino there as a valet 10 years ago. Drove that road every day, and what a cool way to start your day. Stopped back in Central City/Blackhawk for the first time since then and couldn't even recognize it. Insane.

 

[DenverDude2002]

Ya, I was up there in Central City in August, I was mine exploring around there with a friend with a new GPS system. Central City was a darn ghost town, most of the downtown was empty. WE went and found some old 4x4 trail, like a wagon road, that intercepted that road going up to the glacier. It made Oh My God road look weak.

 

[Vector4fun]

Took my wife down Oh My God Road from Blackhawk to Idaho Springs about 10 years ago in her new T-Bird. She had her eyes closed half the drive. No mountain girl she.

So now the question is, what is it about pilots that so many of us know and drove the same 1 1/2 lane dirt switchback?

OK, I've done Shrine Pass, Boreas, Mosquito, Weston, the east half of Tincup and the Alpine Tunnel. Cottonwood is still gorgeous in the fall last I checked.

 

[DenverDude2002]

Now that we're on the topic of passes, how many of ou have driven Rollins Pass east/west side? The west side from winter park up to corona is beautiful, I do that one almost yearly. The east side however, makes Oh My God road look like a nice flat straight 2 lane road. And what about Red Mountain Pass between Silverton and Ouray? That is one scary mountain pass.

 

[TOGA]

The pizza joint in Idaho Spgs is "Beau Jo's", and it rocks! It's toward the West end of town, so if you're Eastbound, take the first Idaho Spgs exit, go left (can't go right, I seem to remember), take a right on the main drag . . . I think it's on the right. I've been on that same switchback road, too . . . weird.

 

[skyking1976]

The pizza joint in Idaho Spgs is "Beau Jo's", and it rocks! It's toward the West end of town, so if you're Eastbound, take the first Idaho Spgs exit, go left (can't go right, I seem to remember), take a right on the main drag . . . I think it's on the right. I've been on that same switchback road, too . . . weird.

Right next door to the Tommyknocker Brewery!