Driving the Colorado mountains almost every working day, I get to see the best and the worst traffic. So here are a few guidelines to help you negotiate the mountain highways and byways, and to make your skiing and boarding adventure more enjoyable.
Going West out of Denver
The first ‘pickle’ you will encounter going westbound up out of Denver on Interstate 70 (I-70), is that the road narrows from three lanes to two just over the top of Floyd Hill. As you can probably imagine, during busy times this can create quite a traffic bottleneck. From there, it’s only two lanes all the way through the Eisenhower Tunnel.
Skiing Opportunities
If you’re lucky enough to have survived the bottleneck, your first exit for high-country skiing will be US-40, taking you over Berthoud Pass to Winter Park and the associated ski areas.
Just a couple of years ago Berthoud Pass was cleaned up so there are two lanes uphill on both sides. This is much more driver friendly, especially for automobiles having to share the road with trucks. There is only one lane going downhill, so if you get behind a truck, be patient, use the designated passing areas, and pass carefully.
Your next destination for skiing is Exit 216, US-6 Loveland Pass. Just after you go under I-70, you have the choice of going left to Loveland Valley, or right to Loveland Basin. If you go right and bypass Loveland Basin, just a short seven miles later you’ll get to Arapahoe Basin (A Basin), and at the bottom of the hill you’ll come to Keystone.
Keep this caution in mind: US-6 Loveland Pass is the Hazardous Materials (HazMat) route for tanker trucks coming and going to places along I-70 and the Western Slope. It’s a good road, but can get congested and the going slow. Passing is restricted and can be difficult on this road. Use caution and have patience. Too many people have gotten in a hurry, only to have their day of skiing ruined by having to do paperwork.
If you stay on I-70 through Eisenhower Tunnel, it opens up to three lanes until you get to Frisco, then I-70 narrows down to two lanes.
Once through the tunnel you can exit at Silverthorne to go north to Steamboat Springs. If you continue west, exit at Frisco for Breckenridge, Highway 91 for Copper Mountain and Leadville, or continue on I-70 over Vail Pass to Vail.
Schedule Your Time
It seems like everybody and their cousin wants to go skiing on Saturday and Sunday mornings. This is the very worst time to try to get into the mountains! I have heard of people leaving Denver at 8 A.M., getting to A-Basin at noon, the resort closes at 4 P.M., and then three hours back to Denver! Seven hours of driving for only four hours of fun.
The times to drive I-70 and related roads:
- Worst westbound: Friday evening, just after rush hour;
- Saturday, Sunday and holiday mornings, from 6 – 9 A.M.;
- Worst eastbound: Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening, from 3 – 10 P.M.
The best times to drive to and from the ski areas are late at night, real early morning, and anytime you’ll be going against traffic at the above times.
If you can afford it, you might want to get a room. Getting up early, rested and near the ski areas will make your day that much more enjoyable. It’s an investment that’s well worth the cost.
Enjoy the mountains and your day on the slopes.
Scott Murray - I have over 27 years and 4 Million miles of driving experience, most being in Class 8 trucks, which are also called Semis, Big Rigs, Large ...
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