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66 tons of rock falls onto I-70 west of Denver


onmyrt

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YUP. I was talking to a gal last year who worked in Redstone Co at the Inn and she had a washing machine size rock land right on the hood of her car. Talk about a sudden stop. :eek: She was inches from death. If it had landed on the roof,game over.

She took it as a acceptable hazzard to be able to live in such a beautiful place. :thumbsup:

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I'd like to see the backhoe/loader that moves that stone. :rofl: I have a quite a few 1-5 ton and some 10 ton stones in my backyard that I'd like moved to the corners of the lot and I'm always at wit's end.

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For those folks traveling on I-70 in western Colorado over at LEAST the next two months, that very beautiful stretch of interstate will likely be turned into a single 2 lane highway. Plan accordingly... (take an opportunity to see the some of our other western Colorado By-ways)

 

This is NOT the first time I-70 has been buggered up like this (and it won't be the last).

 

Mike O

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I hope they fix it faster than they are the I-40 rockslide near me. The interstate both directions has been closed since October, and the current estimates are that it won't be open again until at least late April.

 

Jay

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Heres the loader that would do it...

IMAG0412.jpg

Cat 992D the bucket is good for 16 cubic yards and I have picked up rocks that were the bucket plus 30% or so and dropped them off the edge of the quarry roads with it...

 

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Visitors might like to know that serious rock slides are rare, but having only one lane open in each direction really isn't rare on that stretch of I-70. There have been numerous times since the construction in Glenwood Canyon was (allegedly) finished in 1992 when lanes have been closed even without a rock slide or other serious hazard.

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Good to know... I am planning a trip from Wisconsin to Denver.{Memorial Day weekend) From Denver I want to hit some of those cool parks I see in the Utah travel guide. I had planned to come out of Denver on 70 and turn off on 191/163 to get to the Arches National Park. I have a couple of questions, such as where is a good inexpensive place to stay along 191/163? What's the traffic like on 191/163?

My ultimate destination is Monuement Valley.

I thought Blanding might be a good spot for a couple of days, I could dump my stuff at the hotel and hit Monuement Valley, Natural Bridges. From there I would load up and head up "95" to "24" to "12" to Bryce Canyon. Any good places over there to stay. How about must sees or must eat at places?

Weather wise what do you think I'll run into?

Any info would be appreciated.....How do you mount a rock catcher on an 04 RT?

Regards,

 

Jeff

alais

Spen Meng

 

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Joe Frickin' Friday
I had planned to come out of Denver on 70 and turn off on 191/163 to get to the Arches National Park.

 

If you're in an outrageous hurry, sure, 191 will get you down to Moab fast enough. But it's a boring, straight ride. Far better to get off I-70 at US6/UT28 and approach Moab from the east.

 

In fact, if you have time to spare, you should stay off of I-70 as much as possible. Consider getting off at Grand Junction, then taking 141 to Naturita, then 90/46 west to US191. Lots of other fantastic roads through SW Colorado. If you're looking for a brief scenic detour, consider going over Loveland Pass instead of taking the Eisenhower Tunnel. If you've got even more time, look for other pass routes: Monarch Pass, Independence Pass, McClure Pass, etc.

 

Seriously consider US550 from Ouray to Durango, the Million Dollar Highway.

 

OTOH, if twisty two-lane roads with drop-offs/cliffs give you vertigo, you may want to stick with I-70.

 

I have a couple of questions, such as where is a good inexpensive place to stay along 191/163? What's the traffic like on 191/163?

 

Moab is pretty developed; you'll have a wide selection of hotels there, including the cheapest of cheap. If you plan to stay there Memorial Day weekend, you may want to make reservations NOW.

 

Arches is neat - it's honest to god Wile E. Coyote territory - but for cosmic-scale grandeur, it's hard to beat Dead Horse Point and Canyonlands (the "Island In The Sky" district). Both are just a few miles outside of Moab, and they have incredible overlooks.

 

South of Moab, traffic on 191 isn't bad. Lots of opportunities for passing, including double-lane hill climbs from time to time.

 

From there I would load up and head up "95" to "24" to "12" to Bryce Canyon. Any good places over there to stay. How about must sees or must eat at places?

 

The Chuckwagon motel in Torrey is ground zero for the twice-annual BMWST Torrey gathering, but I think you're gonna be a week late for that. There are a couple of other chain hotels in Torrey, too (Days Inn, Holiday Inn, etc.).

 

95/24/12 are spectacular roads; you are in for a treat.

 

There is at least one hotel at the Ruby's Inn complex at the entrance to Bryce Canyon, and a couple of restaurants.

 

Weather wise what do you think I'll run into?

 

I have seen snow in Colorado in July. Rare, but it happens. Less rare around Memorial day. Be prepared for anything. Some passes in Colorado don't open until Memorial Day (due to snowpack), so check CDOT website (and their recorded-info phone #) before you head out.

 

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Thanks Joe...I'll let you know how it goes. The RT is on the road in Wisconsin as of this morning... We actually broke 50 degrees the rest of our week is good until Saturday and then its back into the snow...hopefully the last. I am headed to Phoenix for some R&R next month should be good.... see ya on the road...

L8Tr

jeff

 

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