Comments | damnitnicole: route planning (it's really hard to find free info about mountain highway grades)

damnitnicole

route planning (it's really hard to find free info about mountain highway grades)

Mar 27, 2009 00:23

I know I've got a few truckers, ex-truckers, and general road-trippers reading here. I need your help.

I'm pulling a trailer from (metro) Phoenix to Norman, Oklahoma.

In the interest of not only gas mileage, but wear and tear on my van, I'm trying to find the least steep way uphill to get from here to I-40.

up AZ87, though Payson, and then along ( Read more... )

arizona, travel, lazyweb, my vehicle, plans

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jhf March 27 2009, 11:58:24 UTC

I've never been further west than Dallas, so I don't have first-hand experience in AZ. I do have a 2006 trucker atlas, though -- this used to be my favorite part.

I'd expect your first-choice route to have plenty of heaves and dips, and would probably stick with I-17 unless I knew the Interstate hadn't been graded very well either; there isn't enough difference between the two to make the constant little climbs and descents of the former worth it.

It would also depend a bit on how I felt about the trailer brakes. Wide shoulders are good.

As for I-10: don't do it. :-) If you're concerned about your van, climb and descend the steep bits at 25 or 35 with your four-way flashers on, in the right lane, and drop the transmission into 3 or maybe 2. Give everyone the finger and pocket the gas money.

You probably knew most of that last bit, but eh.

damnitnicole March 27 2009, 13:45:35 UTC

Interestingly, the best choices I've been given by Rennies who've gone these ways are ( ... )

anonymissity March 27 2009, 18:11:43 UTC

i would absolutely recommend you stay as far out of northern az as possible. those switchbacks, even for a normal car, are incredibly terrifying.

damnitnicole March 28 2009, 00:03:36 UTC

Exactly.

jhf March 29 2009, 09:23:02 UTC

Go with the people who have been there, natch. Most of my experience with climbing hills was in the Alleghenies; I have no f'ing idea how things look out that way.

jhf March 29 2009, 11:32:07 UTC

I mean that kindly. I'm just sayin.

damnitnicole March 29 2009, 13:30:55 UTC

Oh, no, it's fine. I put this up here and on Facebook at the same time, figuring rightly that somewhere in the mix, I'd get a good crop of helpful comments. I only poked you about it because I thought you'd been farther west than you have.

Although it's cool to hear from you either way!

damnitnicole March 29 2009, 13:29:09 UTC

Steeeeep is how they look. %7 grades on super curvy roads with high speed limits and small guardrails between the road and the chasm.

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