Southern 100s road trip (1 Viewer)

[tabraha]

I'm going to post up what I have for trip expenses since someone asked about fuel etc... Bear with the formatting as I have everything in excel so I can tweak this or that on the fly and try out different scenarios...

Here's what I have plugged in, hope it helps:

Fuel:

• 1920mi 1-way
• $3.50 gallon
• $960.00 Round Trip @ 14mpg
• Trail Fuel $160.00 (2 tanks assumed)

Lodging

• Route Lodging: $360.00 $90 per night x2 nights each way
• Ouray Lodging $700.00 5 nights @ 140/night (lotta fat here)

Food: $500.00 10 days @ 50/day
Event Reg. $-

Grand Total: $2,680.00


Now don't go into sticker shock just yet. This has fat built into it!!! I have one of the longest hauls of anyone and that is at least 2 nights on the road each way, most will only have one. I also figured in lodging for every single night we are there and we are going there several days early for a couple reasons. I want to make sure my kids will do good at altitude so this gives us a couple days to explore and acclimate. I also assumed if my 1YO was not down with the camping/trails this is a worst case cost scenario for lodging. I fully expect to be able to camp though. He's happy-go-lucky and pretty tough. I expect to be less than that $ amount but I plan on it being that amount or more for contingencies...

Also I'll pass some fresh intel on for you I-20 guys also. I did 600+mi on I-20 yesterday when I picked up my second 100 series from Jackson,MS. Alloting extra time on that first day may be wise. I-20 between ATL & Jackson has a TON of active construction zones right now. If I had not been traveling on a Sunday I think it would've been pretty brutal. All but one were not active and opened up for the weekend. I felt pretty fortunate.


Here's our tenative plans: (again excel sorry for the formatting)
28-Jul Day 1 Leave Saturday July 28 stop west of Jackson,MS. 600 mi
29-Jul Day 2 Make it east of Amarillo,TX 700 mi
30-Jul Day 3 Arrive in ABQ ~ lunchtime 600 mi SPG
31-Jul Day 4 Hang in ABQ? Run to Ouray afternoon 0 mi
1-Aug Day 5 Acclimation 0 mi
2-Aug Day 6 Trail Runs 50
3-Aug Day 7 Trail Runs 50
4-Aug Day 8 Trail Runs 50
5-Aug Day 9 Depart, make it into Kansas 600 mi
6-Aug Day 10 Make it outside of Nashville 700 mi
7-Aug Day 11 Arrive HOME 600 mi
~4000 mi

This was assuming I-40 to ABQ going and I-70 returning. We may scratch one acclimation day on the way out and instead have some fun in ABQ/Santa Fe. Been there before and saw some pretty awesome native american history there. My 5YO little girl would really dig a kachina doll.

 

[ntsaint]

I'd prefer to go I20, but if the group goes 40 I will make the extra few miles to get there.

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD, and hopefully approved by the NSA.

 

[ntsaint]

I don't know who is subscribed to this thread still, but if you are, and plan on making the trip from the southern states (LA, TX, AL, GA, FL, etc), post up, and let's try to firm up a way to coordinate our trips up to Ouray.

Feel like we can best do this here without cluttering up Jon's main thread.

 

[e9999]

didn't realize this thread is about the same trip as the other big one still in the 100 section.
I had just suggested that people put up map shots of their routes for folks to coordinate caravans more easily. Easier to visualize.

 

[Griffin]

Here is a travel map for us, showing two options, one more southerly on 40, the other heading up to St. Louis and then Colorado Springs. According to google, the only difference time wise is an hour.

Considering the amount of time I will take off from work, it may make sense for us to leave earlier than I first thought, with the idea of taking in a few sites/trails along the way.

Going the 40 route, options include the Turquoise Trail between Albq and Santa Fe, and/or the west, north, by northeastern loop of the San Juan Skyway from Durango. But then again, going through Colorado Springs, the Black Canyon around Gunnison looks promising.

I imagine there are bookoos of trails and sites to see in New Mexico and Colorado, and I'll spend the next few weeks figuring out where to go. And of course, any suggestions from the locals would be great.

 

[ntsaint]

Below are my two route options. Prefer to go the southernmost route, via I20, as it does save a couple hours. But I'll drive up to Little Rock and hit 40 if that's a route that a caravan winds up taking.

 

[cboyd]

I get about 280 around town, so am expecting 300 as a conservative amount on the way up there and back. That being said, I try not to even think about it. It's gonna be a LOT of gas...

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD, and hopefully approved by the NSA.

Having just done Raleigh, NC to Orange County, Ca (via backcountry Southern Utah) I can tell you that I averaged 13.7 the for the whole trip and when my truck hit 290 on the tank, I'd better be looking for gas! Now I realize that my warning light is a bit conservative, as I never filled more than 22 gals, but 300 on the nose was my planning number.

That's with fresh synthetic and a fresh 90k service. Running mostly 89, some 93. My best tank was 14.5 after hyper-miling behind some big rigs across Oklahoma. Premium gas in Southern Utah is mostly 88, so I did do that. I budgeted 2 fill ups per day and stuck with that until until I hit Utah.

Big cross winds north of Albuquerque dropped my mileage into the 12's but that was with the semi trucks struggling to keep their trailers in the same lane!

Running an RTT and a bike rack of the back... YMMV!

 

[paflytyer]

Love to have you guys join us if you come up this way!
https://forum.ih8mud.com/trails-events-expeditions/747574-denver-area-100s-hills-thread.html

 

[ntsaint]

Looks like I'm changing my route...will drive to LR the day before, hopefully meet up with a few people passing through headed down I40.

 

[aaronrules]

Here is a travel map for us, showing two options, one more southerly on 40, the other heading up to St. Louis and then Colorado Springs. According to google, the only difference time wise is an hour.

Considering the amount of time I will take off from work, it may make sense for us to leave earlier than I first thought, with the idea of taking in a few sites/trails along the way.

Going the 40 route, options include the Turquoise Trail between Albq and Santa Fe, and/or the west, north, by northeastern loop of the San Juan Skyway from Durango. But then again, going through Colorado Springs, the Black Canyon around Gunnison looks promising.

I imagine there are bookoos of trails and sites to see in New Mexico and Colorado, and I'll spend the next few weeks figuring out where to go. And of course, any suggestions from the locals would be great.

I am not 100% on going, more like 90%. I will be taking this route both there and home. Take the Southern route there, stop in ABQ. Then take the Northern route home back to Fort Smith, AR.

 

[aaronrules]

I am pretty sure that I will be leaving out the Monday or Tuesday before the weekend. The 29th or 30th. Probably get to ABQ day one, then on into CO the next day. I want to give my boy and I both time to get acclimated to the altitude. I would hate to be there and feel like crap for the weekend. Especially my boy. I am just wondering if there is anything to do in between ABQ and Durango until the weekend? And if anyone else is planning on going out early and possibly staying longer, and going the northern route I70 back home? This could be a 2 weeker for me and the boy!

 

[jonharis]

I hear ya, The first 14er I climbed, i was unhappy the entire time.

Definitely start an Aspirin regimen a couple days before which will help with AMS.
Hydrate a ton! like half your body weight in ounces minimum per day.

bluecruiser gets sick every time he comes to Colorado.

 

[Cowboy59]

I am pretty sure that I will be leaving out the Monday or Tuesday before the weekend. The 29th or 30th. Probably get to ABQ day one, then on into CO the next day. I want to give my boy and I both time to get acclimated to the altitude. I would hate to be there and feel like crap for the weekend. Especially my boy. I am just wondering if there is anything to do in between ABQ and Durango until the weekend? And if anyone else is planning on going out early and possibly staying longer, and going the northern route I70 back home? This could be a 2 weeker for me and the boy!

You could stop in the Valle Vidal area of Carson national forest or hit some trails in the red river nm area. That's what we are doing.

 

[Griffin]

My plans seem to change daily now. My latest thought is to leave Sunday the 28th, drive to Ok. City, sleep, then to Salida, Co. We'll camp in Salina for two nights, raft the Arkansas River one day, maybe fish or hit a local trail (this looks fun) the other. Will get up Thursday (1st) morning and drive to Ouray.

It is a long drive to Colorado and home for only 2-3 days of relaxing/trail riding, so I'm balancing keeping a 14-year old entertained with not killing myself with too much planning. Ideas may change again.

 

[paflytyer]

I hear ya, The first 14er I climbed, i was unhappy the entire time.

Definitely start an Aspirin regimen a couple days before which will help with AMS.
Hydrate a ton! like half your body weight in ounces minimum per day.

bluecruiser gets sick every time he comes to Colorado.

Speaking of 14ers..... I'm open to taking a small group up Handies if anyone is interested. It's a once in a lifetime experience if you've never been to Colorado or up that high. (You should be in good physical condition and acclimated properly) You will never forget it! I'll post something on the main page because we can actually incorporate a little wheeling into it.

 

[bluecruiser]

I hear ya, The first 14er I climbed, i was unhappy the entire time.

Definitely start an Aspirin regimen a couple days before which will help with AMS.
Hydrate a ton! like half your body weight in ounces minimum per day.

bluecruiser gets sick every time he comes to Colorado.

I get sick because I eat fast food on the Indian reservation....not doing that ever again....my truck still smells of a$$...

 

[bamabrock]

Looks like I'm changing my route...will drive to LR the day before, hopefully meet up with a few people passing through headed down I40.

when are you headed to LR?

 

[ntsaint]

when are you headed to LR?

Sent a PM.

 

[bamabrock]

I don't know who is subscribed to this thread still, but if you are, and plan on making the trip from the southern states (LA, TX, AL, GA, FL, etc), post up, and let's try to firm up a way to coordinate our trips up to Ouray.

Feel like we can best do this here without cluttering up Jon's main thread.

The list on 6/7/13 looked like this:

IN:
NTSaint
JungleJack
2000UZJ
Griffin
tabraha

POSSIBLE:
BamaBrock
Kennyao30
Saillaw
bonze
cruiser100
cowboy59

We need to start getting the list somewhat finalized to coordinate travel. Just number off with your mud name and departing location. So far, we have:

1. ntsaint - Monroe, LA
2. bamabrock - Birmingham, AL
3. Aaronrules - Ft. Smith, AR

 

[aaronrules]

Aaronrules - leaving Fort Smith, AR on July 30th.