Getting a Taste of the Rockys: Pikes Peak? Speeding Tickets?

[Tom and Vipers]

In NV, the best mountain roads (Virginia City Hill Climb, Rose Mountain, and Kingsbury Grade) usually do not have speed traps. I have driven them over the past 14 years and while not a resident, I have never seen a speed trap. So you can have brief periods of intense fun on those roads. In fact, when passing (passing zones are rare), you're given latitude to exceed the speed limit. (Of course when passing 3 tractor trailers in a row, your terminal velocity can be quite unexpected. I know.)

So what about Pike's Peak? I know in FL there was this little po-dunk park in Hobe Sound where I drove just a little spirited in a BMW 2002 and a ranger/cop flagged me down and scolded me. I have no idea how they detected me!!!)

But forget about Pike's Peak. Any better back roads (I'm sure there are many) that would be "safer" to drive.

I'm planning a cross country trip with stop off in Rockys this spring/summer/fall(?) I wonder if I should "advertise" here and see if anyone else is doing the same thing? There is safety in numbers!

Tom

PS. And if PP is still a go, when is there the least traffic? Probably best in January if they're open.

 

[Allan]

Highway 12 (called the 'Highway of Legends') is a really fun blast.
Goes from Trinidad to Walsenburg. Then from there Highway 69 to Bishop's Castle and on to Highway 96 to Pueblo.

Another fun one is Highway 9 between the Royal Gorge and Divide.

Highway 50 is fun between Canon City and Salida, but there is a lot of traffic and State Patrol.

These are winding mountain roads with a lot of tight blind turns, if you like that sort of thing.

Highway 9 has the least amount of traffic I think.

 

[Camfab]

Was working on a certain car movie up there a couple of months ago, it's riddled with park rangers. The air is amazingly thin as you reach 14,000 ft. It's crazy how much power you lose up there, and I kept wondering what my car would feel like. I can tell you that the road is pretty spookey as you reach the summit. Particularly when you think about the fact that it was gravel before they paved it.

 

[Boxer12]

My personal fav is Hwy 24 from West Vail to Hwy 82 and over Independence Pass to Aspen, or Hwy 24 to Hwy 82 from Colo Springs to Aspen. You will be able to see awesome scenery, drive like hell in certain areas and experience high altitude driving and hairpin turns. Not to mention you are in world class resort territory Use good judgment and go slow as you approach and leave towns. Rely on sight (don't blast around blind corners etc) and avoid weekend traffic. Be careful of crosswinds in the wide open stretches.

 

[Tom and Vipers]

Thanks all for the specific routes to try.

I've worn out all the roads around Carson City, NV and just love those windy hairpins going up the mountain. Usually when you're out of town, you don't see traffic cops. I guess the altitude (loss of HP) and shortness of straights eliminates 99% of fast driving. Of course with Viper you are in that remaining 1% (!)

I am thinking that Pike's Peak may be a Red Herring and crawling with cops and Slow Pokes. It may be more like torture than exciting.

Is PP the only road above 14k? I thought there was another one. A friend of mine said he drove one and "found a back road" that went up eliminating the paved road. It was one way too. He had to go down on the paved road.

It is really depressing owning a Viper where the low roads are above 4500'. I've driven to just about 9k and it really *****. I've put 10k on my Viper in NV all at that elevation and only twice had it at sea level and wow, was that a blast. Those 511 rwhp are enough to have fun way under 100 mph and you don't have to get to 150 to get your Monster HP Viper to stick! I drove a Viper with about 625 rwhp in FL and it was really frustrating because of all the congestion and rarity of "open enough" road to let'r rip. I can't imagine driving a car with 1000 HP on public roads. Maybe in Montana or Idaho.

I'm wrestling right now with an online map site to work on this trip. The BIG PROBLEM is that when in sparse areas, these map packages do not show secondary roads that could easily displayed - you see an Interstate going across the screen with nothing else. No one seems to make a site where you can specify Information Density on a plot. The Zoom function hard wires into a road hierarchy that simply will not let you see secondary roads with any amoung of "zooming out." I've seen some motorcycle tourists complain about this limitation. The best way to plan I have found is getting one of those Gazettes for the states you will be in. I have CA, NV, CO, WV, PA, KT, TN - aw hell, I almost have all the ones I need. Maybe I should just buy them all (!)

Need to check DeLorme to see if they have useful maps.

I think MapQuest is the best right now but only slightly better than Google. Google shows faint gray lines for roads just barely displayed for a given zoom AND the gray they use is THE SAME as that they use to show mountain features. So the roads basically disappear when they go through mountains.

Whoever came up with the "clever" strategy of displaying roads on a map that are basically invisible???

Anyhow, need to digest the above suggestions!

Thanks
Tom

PS. Need to work on the "Dragon" end of the trip too.

 

[Boxer12]

The highest road in North America is up Mt. Evans outside of Idaho Springs/Evergreen. I would approach from Hwy 74 (Evergreen Parkway) and drive over Squaw Pass Road to the entrance. Again, its a park. Not a lot of enforcement, but stiff penalties if you get busted. According to the gate attendant, I have the track record (fastest time up and back) hahahaha

 

[DStJohn]

There is also Trail Ridge road, which is the highest continous road in the US. It goes over the continental divide and reaches 12K+. It is a tight tourist road from Estes Park to Grand Lake passing through Rocky Mountian Nat Park. Not a high speed road, but a very beautiful road. Lot's of area above tree line. Definately watch for Elk too.