Kentucky to Washington in December

[Woodenhead]

Hi All,



Looks like I might have to head back to Wasington (state) from Kentucky in late December. I've travelled the route many times and ran through Wyoming and the passes in Montana in the winter a few times but this time I'll be dragging the fiver. My plan is to give myself plenty of time so if the weather and conditions in the passes suck I can hole up until it clears up. If things are really crappy in 4th of July and Lookout I can dump my trailer at a buddies place in Butte for a while. I'm not scared of a little weather, I was raised in the snow but dragging a fiver through mountain passes in the winter is a bit of a crap shoot. Any words from the wise?



Mike

 

[JApol]

I grew up in WA and know just about every entrance in. towing a 5'er is about nuts unless you go south of I-70 and eventually get on I-5. I don't have a map infront of me but i think you have to get down to SoCal to do that, thats a little far. I-70 would be a good bet as its only one B I G hill rather than the dozen or so on I-90. On the same note stay off of I-84 in the winter as it can develop ice potholes that will knock your molars loose. Then again Nanashtash ridge on I-82 getting close to Ellensburg isn't a walk in the park either.

 

[Nate]

I'd bring chains... maybe chains for the trailer too?

 

[Woodenhead]

Thanks for the replies guys. Home is in the Moses lake area so I'm only going to the eastern part of Wa so I won't have to run through Snoqualmie, White, Stevens or anything like that. I'll likely get chains to be on the safe side but my plan is if the weather gets bad enough to need them then I'll stop until things get better. I'm not worried so much about the hills, just the ice, snow and crappy beat up roads.

 

[JApol]

But the continetal divide at the Idaho/Montana border won't be much fun

 

[Woodenhead]

But the continetal divide at the Idaho/Montana border won't be much fun

Yeah that's the part I'm worried about. If the pass reports look bad I can either hole up for a couple days or just dump my trailer at a buddies place in Butte if need be.



Thanks,

Mike

 

[RPotter]

I now live in Gig Harbor, Wa, but have lived in Great Falls, MT, Cheyenne, WY, Denver, San Francisco Bay area, and have made trips on every road to Washington state there is. Winter is usually not fun no matter what you do. As you say, a crap shoot at best. You may think of catching I-15, and shooting north thru Wyoming and catch I=90 at Billings and go thru Bozeman, Missoula, to Couer'd Alene, and then thru Spokane to Moses Lake, but lately those roads have been no fun either. Good luck at whatever route you choose. . I'm heading to Boise this coming Monday for a few days, and expect to have just all kinds of fun. Take care and drive careful.

 

[PatrickCampbell]

Go drive and just be safe. Don't be afraid to go slow in the right lane with the hazards on when necessary. You have 4x4 too so don't be afraid to use it if necessary. Let off a little before the bridges because they will freeze first.

 

[Woodenhead]

Rpotter, that's the way I came out and the way I usually take from east to west and back. I have friends scattered around in MT so it's nice to have places to stop as well as travel a familiar route.



Patrick, that's pretty much the plan. I drive what I'm comfortable at and have no problem holding back the crazies.

 

[Woodenhead]

Well I made it in one piece. I left on Saturday afternoon (last Saturday) and rolled into Ephrata on Tuesday afternoon. Not a cloud in the sky for the first 2000 miles until I got to Butte. Then the forcast was for ice and snow in 4th of July and lookout but by the time I went over it was just raining a bit. Someone was looking out for me on this trip. According to my GPS the trip data was:

Total Miles:2293

Moving Average:63. 0mph (includes crawling through traffic, hotels, fuel stations etc. )

Moving time: 36hrs 24minutes

Max speed: 81mph .



I burned 233 gallons of fuel for an average mileage of 9. 8mpg. Not bad considering the trailer was well loaded, I rolled across a local scale at home and weighed the truck and trailer at 20,500 lbs and yes I know I was over my mfg GCWR. I rolled at 65-70mpg most of the time and managed to keep it above 65 over the hills and head winds until I hit the passes in Montana. This NV5600 is the ticket for pulling any weight, it's so nice having 4th and 5th not to far behind to help hold your speed climbing hills. I installed a set of Bilstein shocks before the trip and was pretty impressed with how well they controlled the bounce with all the weight.



Anyway, enough blabbing. Thanks for all your tips.

Mike

 

[SnoKing]

Wow 12 on and 12 off. Sounds like me when I was younger. Left Dayton, Oh. on a Tuesday at 1OPM and was in Seattle Friday Morning at 8AM, at noon I was in Port Angeles and at 4 PM in Victoria, BC on parents boat. SNOKING

 

[AKAMAC]

Oh my! Sounds like you had help in the drivers seat. That is a fantastic MPH average for a lone vehicle, let alone the behemoth you had.

With an average like that you can proudly post your GPH (gallons per hour) for comparison with airplanes.

Glad to hear you made it safely.

Mike

 

[Woodenhead]

No co-pilot, I put the wife on a plane. I make better time when I drive by myself. Usually when I do the trip from East to West I get going by noon the first day and get in about 500 miles. Day two ends in Rapid City or Sturgis South Dakota about 800-900 miles. Day three is from Rapid to Ephrata which is right around 1000miles. I don't find it difficult to get 800 to 1000 miles in a day out West as long as you stick with it, no sight seeing and don't stop to eat. I just stop for fuel and to hit the can, eat beef jerky, drink plenty of juice, water, the odd energy drink and no big meals till the hotel at the end of the day (it's the meals that make you tired). Don't think I'm one of those guys that drives half asleep just to get the miles on, if I start feeling dozy the drivings done for the day and I hit the first hotel I see (or crash in the trailer).



Gallons per hr right around 6. 5 which averages around $15-$16 :{



Keeper between them ditches,

Mike

 

[MMeier]

Cool, great job!!

 

[JHardwick]

I don't find it difficult to get 800 to 1000 miles in a day out West as long as you stick with it, no sight seeing and don't stop to eat.

It's about all I can do to average 1000 miles a day on a 6 or 7 day run.

 

[WUrbowicz]

thinking about doing the same trip but headed east out of Spokane, WA/Starting Jan. 4-06/ Picking up a '01 3500 SLT QC SB 6x4 47RE with 187k/ What are my chances of using I-90 east or should I drop down 15 to I-70/ live in New England and schooled in New Hampshire/ I can remember many weekend trips to VT and CT in a beat up Ford Torino with poor front tires and just snows on the back/lot of fun,but its 23 years since then/Trying to keep an eye on the weather, so far nothing impending/ any input greatly appreciated/ thanks/ warren





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4. 5 3500 CTD 4X4 SLT,QC,SB,SRW 48RE Full Metal Jacket Liner,PlowTow Package,Whelen Strobe Kit

 

[Driftwood Ram]

It's about all I can do to average 1000 miles a day on a 6 or 7 day run.

You're a better man than I. Lucky to get 500-600 miles a day Oo. Oo.

 

[Woodenhead]

And again

Did the trip again over the weekend, the wife and I flew back on Friday and picked up her car (2000 Ford Focus). This time:



Total Miles:2257

Moving Average: 69. 4mph

Moving time: 32hrs 14minutes

Max speed: 93. 2mph, brief moment on MT.



Only burned 82 gallons this time for a mileage of 27. 5mpg.

Day one was Friday night from Louisville to Inianapolis (130miles)

Day two from Indy to Champlain (I think) SD 878 miles

Yesterday from Champlain to Ephrata 1250 miles.



I take it back about making better time without the wife, she stuck it out yesterday for 21 hrs of windshield time without a complaint .



The weather was not as good as the last trip. Yesterday morning in SD with freezing rain and I-90 was a skating rink for a while. A bit of snow in Lookout pass and plenty of rain.



I think I've had enough travelling for a while. To bad tomorrow I have to head up to Castlegar BC :{ , but at only 230miles it'll seem like a short trip.



Taker easy,

Mike

 

[Bob Wagner]

glad to hear you had a safe trip

 

[Woodenhead]

thinking about doing the same trip but headed east out of Spokane, WA/Starting Jan. 4-06/ Picking up a '01 3500 SLT QC SB 6x4 47RE with 187k/ What are my chances of using I-90 east or should I drop down 15 to I-70/ live in New England and schooled in New Hampshire/ I can remember many weekend trips to VT and CT in a beat up Ford Torino with poor front tires and just snows on the back/lot of fun,but its 23 years since then/Trying to keep an eye on the weather, so far nothing impending/ any input greatly appreciated/ thanks/ warren



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4. 5 3500 CTD 4X4 SLT,QC,SB,SRW 48RE Full Metal Jacket Liner,PlowTow Package,Whelen Strobe Kit

I'd say you'll be fine going on '90. You'll have to go through some mountain passes but that's the case no matter which was you go. 4th of July and Lookout pass are not too far East of Spokane and you'll easily be able to get a pass report online, call for info or just ask someone. If it's really bad and you're not comfortable just wait a bit, they're pretty good at getting the roads cleared but chances are you'll be fine.



Good luck,

Mike