6,000 mile north american roadtrip

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route updated to include goblin valley! good note on the cold winters. we might be skipping yellowstone all together as it will require a lot of gear and some separate accomodations for the dog. it may be biting off more than we can chew....
 
Hey Peepers, my Wyoming comments were geared towards I-80 through Cheyenne. I just noticed you are coming in North of that. Sorry I missed that at first glance. I don't have any experience with that area, but I bet it's cold!

Don't forget that Jackson Hole and the Teton's can be along your route if you plan for it. Great place to stop. Not sure what the scenery is going to be like as I've only been in the summer. Lot's of great places to stop there.
 
while jackson is bad ass and fun... we wont be schlepping our ski gear so we might have to head south first... nashville... maybe even all the way down to new orleans... than all the way back up to northern UT....
 
Just a point of order that wind chill cannot be applied to anything but the human body. But I will second that in many areas you'll be traveling in winter you'll be struck by the feeling that even though they are major interstates if you are out at night in even slightly wintry conditions there will be few others out. The locals stay home and if something goes awry you may need to be able to provide for yourself. We travel at all hours and in pretty much all conditions, but there have been times late at night in winter where it is below zero and nobody else is out so we've stopped at the next town. When you get out for a gas stop and the wind is howling and you intently watch the interstate in vain for other motorists, it's time to consider whether to go back out or find a room. It's never happened to us, but we've had friends in those conditions come upon a barrier and flares closing the interstate and then every hapless traveler is trying to find a room in the tiny town. It's a local decision by county authorities who don't want travelers out when it's nutso arctic - putting their people at risk. Better to notice you're getting into that situation and pull off at a town that still has hotel rooms.

DougM
 
Looks like a great trip. Great advice here. I'll use it for my Seattle to Norfolk trip in January. Be sure to wave as you pass by.
 
thinking of running some air... you never know when you might have to use it... esp in the southwestern parks... air down on the rock and dirt roads for comfort, then back up for the pavement...

http://www.extremeoutback.com/index.cgi?cart_id=4687194.132&pid=30

Tech Specs:

- Continuous duty cycle
- 3/4 horsepower motor
- 30-amp draw at 35psi
- 40-amp draw at 150psi
- 4 cfm free flow rate
- 150psi max working pressure
- Can be mounted upside down
- 14" long, 6" wide, 9", tall
extremeaire-12-volt.webp
 
I have that air compressor Peepers. My advice is to plan the complete installation very well before you buy the compressor. Installation of an OBA system is a pretty big project.

If you can give us an idea of how many days you plan to be in NM then we can help with some more suggestions for that part of the trip.
-B-
 
Beowulf said:
I have that air compressor Peepers. My advice is to plan the complete installation very well before you buy the compressor. Installation of an OBA system is a pretty big project.

If you can give us an idea of how many days you plan to be in NM then we can help with some more suggestions for that part of the trip.
-B-
Click to expand...

there goes that idea then! i thought is was going to be as simple as hooking it up and being ready to go... you know i am not big on electronics, especially if it is a "big project". i think i will go search for an install thread on that bad boy...
 
If you just want an air compressor then pick up one of those MV-50 (or whatever the name is this year) units at COSTCO. They push a lot of air, come in a travel bag, have alligator clips, gauge, and a coil hose, and work really well. $40 vs $350 too.

If you want a complete OBA system with a HD electric compressor then the Extreme Air is an excellent choice but you will want a tank, cabin switches, multiple air outlets, and a bunch of other parts.

-B-
 
First, move West if at all possible. You can always go back East at any time. But nobody really moves East.

Second, you are heading West into the Rockies and bypassing Colorado entirely. If you live in Texas, you have to realize the only reason to live in Texas is to have an RV and clog up Colorado backroads. I fly into Dallas quite a bit - you can see the fawking things as you descend. Only thing more common than a Texas RV is a swimming pool.

So hit Colorado in an 80 and be forgiven :flipoff2:
 
Telluride / Ouray as long as Nay's putting together a dream trip, but I wouldn't do it in January...don't even know if it's possible in the winter. I bet it's pretty though.
 
Beowulf said:
If you just want an air compressor then pick up one of those MV-50 (or whatever the name is this year) units at COSTCO. They push a lot of air, come in a travel bag, have alligator clips, gauge, and a coil hose, and work really well. $40 vs $350 too.

If you want a complete OBA system with a HD electric compressor then the Extreme Air is an excellent choice but you will want a tank, cabin switches, multiple air outlets, and a bunch of other parts.

-B-
Click to expand...

found this from you B in another thread as i was searching for 12v options:
"When you're building a 12v OBA system you'll need a lot of nickle-and-dime things other than the tank and the compressor. Check valve, pressure switch, safety valve, drain valve, quick connects, a lot of air hose, thread sealer, air manifold, pressure gauge, and dozens of 1/4 NPT fittings and then you get to the electrical where you'll need 2 ga wiring, 10 ga wiring, solenoids, fuses, switches, circuit breakers, relays, and dozens of electrical connectors."

yeah... CO2 is probably going to be more my speed, or the Costco pump.
 
I would add that Utah and some other States have Open Range for cattle grazing. They normally put up signs to say so, but if you see an oncoming vehicle flashing their lights, slow down, doggies are on the road. Saw a Kenworth mow a cow, not pretty. Would definitely mess up an 80

Sounds really bitchen. Have a great time!
 
Kofoed said:
I would add that Utah and some other States have Open Range for cattle grazing. They normally put up signs to say so, but if you see an oncoming vehicle flashing their lights, slow down, doggies are on the road. Saw a Kenworth mow a cow, not pretty. Would definitely mess up an 80

Sounds really bitchen. Have a great time!
Click to expand...

thanks! love the dog, would hate to have that mishap happen, never mind with a cow.
 
Your route came across Wyoming through Gillette on I-90 from South Dakota. I would definitely hit up Devil's Tower. It is a short hike. If you watched Close Encounters of the Third Kind you probably saw it. That interstate isn't nearly as brutal as I-80 is down by Cheyenne and Laramie. You really need to look at Yellowstone and what is available in January. It might not be worth trying to get in. Old Faithful, the other geysers, mud pots, and wildlife are incredible in the winter but it is sort of a long drive around the park. Most likely you'd need to enter through West Yellowstone.

Some other areas that are nice in Southern Utah, Kodachrome Basin, Governor's Arch, etc... Sort of off the beaten path but good solid sand/dirt roads. I can't remember how we did it. Arches was pretty cool, Bryce was nice too but not as much to do in the winter. Also, these national parks don't allow K9s.

The North side of the Grand Canyon will most likely be closed in January. It was when we were there in March a few years ago.
 
Peepers, FYI, I was checking on some back country camping for next year around this time and got the following info from the rangers at Canyonlands. Thought you could use the info and contact information. This description would apply to anything South of I-70...pretty much...and still in Utah. I'm sure the contact info would vary from park to park.

''All of our backcountry sites are available year-round, but they are
sometimes inaccessible in the winter months due to ice, snow, or rockfalls.
We don't close the sites, but Nature often makes a trip ill-advised.

Backcountry visitation is very low here from late November through
February, mainly because of the shorter daylight hours and night-time
temperatures that are often well below freezing. The average lows are in
the low 20s to the low 30s, but we often have lows in the single digits in
December and January.

Probably the biggest hazard in the winter is icy conditions hidden by a
layer of fresh snow. It can be a beautiful time to be here, but also a very
dangerous time for backcountry travel. You don't really need a reservation
in the Winter, but it is a good idea to call ahead and check on conditions
before you arrive.

Thanks, and I hope you have an excellent Thanksgiving weekend.


Bruce
Canyonlands National Park Reservation Office
435-259-4351 M-F 8am-12:30pm MST
(fax) 435-259-4285
canyres@nps.gov''

I've seen dogs out there, so you might want to check. Maybe they were ''illicit dogs''.
 
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