Driving in the Mountains

[manchurianbrownbear]

Having been born and raised in the Midwest, I could use a little advice on driving in the mountains.

We'll be leaving for a week in Colorado on 8/3 and people have been telling me horror stories about naive flatlanders ruining engines, brakes, etc... driving in the mountains.

In these parts, we put the car in drive and forget about it until we reach our destination and park. I understand that could cause problems in the mountains.

Can anyone educate me?

 

[dizneegirl]

Don't ride the brakes going downhill... use the momentum to get up the next hill (won't use quite so much gas, and won't wear your brakes out).

If you do need to brake, pump them, rather than ride them. Much better for the car. (i.e., if you need to slow down, push the brake, then let up, push it, then let up... that way, you're brake pads aren't constantly rubbing)

Watch for road grade signs... on REALLY steep hills, you might need to downshift to 2nd or even 1st gear... if the car feels like it's having a hard time, try downshifting.

Make sure you have some water for the car, just in case.

AND...

Don't go slow in front of trucks, especially going downhill...

 

[ahutton]

I have found that by sticking to primarily Interstates I have never had to do anything significantly different, but be aware of people who think they know too much. It is possible to get going too fast and then find yourself approaching a curve downhill. Leave yourself plenty of room from the vehicle ahead of you, and if you go through a particularly steep area where you are using your brakes heavily for an extended time, stop for a while and allow them to cool. Also, make sure you have your belts, hoses and fluids checked and replace them if they are questionable. There are a lot of wide open areas with little assistance available and where cell phone signals are not always available.

Enjoy the beauty, that is what we always try to do when driving through the mountains, take our time and enjoy what there is to see!

 

[perdidobay]

The scenery is beautiful, just remember to keep your eyes on the road
If traffic backs up behind you because you are going slow, pull over and let others around you, there are usually lots of turnouts in the mountains.
People pulling campers will be going slow, watch for them and for cars trying to pass them. You would not believe the number of times we've seen people pass on a blind curve in the mountains of Colorado (usually locals in a hurry)

Don't stop in front of a runaway truck ramp!!!!


this is from a tshirt they sell all over Colorado to tourists:

Feed the bears
Squat with your spurs on
Let your kids ride the elk
Tell a local you're from California
Drive fast and pass on curves

Thank you for your support
Colorado Paramedics

 

[Kelsie]

Where in Colorado are you going?

 

[judi]

We have done a lot of driving in the mountains out west, my husband didn't use the breaks very often. Instead he would shift into 3rd gear and if that doesn't slow you down enough you shift 2nd gear. Saves a lot of wear and tear on the breaks. He also said to mention you could put your car on cruise control and it will help downshift for you if you don't want to have to worry about it. Don't worry you'll be fine, enjoy the beautiful scenery. CO is awesome.

 

[Judy from Boise]

remember on curves, never reduce your speed through a turn....in fact add a little gas if you fell you are swinging too wide.


Brake before a turn, accelerate thru

 

[browneyes]

Don't let the natives intimidate you.

 

[smiley]

I agree with the other's posts and want to add: If you have 5 or more vehicles behind you, use a vehicle pull out. People that are used to driving in the mountains loathe flatlanders who constantly ride their brakes and NEVER pull over to the side of the road. And make sure to stay on your own side of the road around the curves. That last one may sound obvious, but let me tell you, I've been coming around the corner plenty of times when another vehicle was partially in my lane, yikes!!

That said, have a great trip. You will probably do just fine!

 

[Rajah]

I've seen people saying don't ride your breaks.

What I haven't seen is anyone explaining how NOT to ride your breaks. (except for one statement from diznee)

If you have an automatic, you know those D1 and D2 and sometimes D3 settings on the gear shift? Ever wondered what those are for? Situations like this.

When you find you're having to hold the breaks for more than about 5 seconds at a time or it's less than a minute or so between break usage, shift to the next gear down.

Next time you slow down, the engine will help hold the car back instead of the breaks. The engine is *designed* to run that way, so it won't hurt the engine for you to let it hold the speed down instead of the breaks, and it will save your breaks bigtime. Just make sure to shift back up to drive when you start up a large hill again.

What type of vehicle will you be driving, and where in Colorado will you be going?

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

<font color=navy>Great advice here.

We just got back from a camping trip in the Sierras, and there were a lot of winding, steep roads...

I drive a manual, so it's easy for me to downshift when need be, and shift up when I'm able.

Some things I noticed...

If it's hot, and you're going uphill, it's better to turn off your a/c

If you're not sure about driving all the curves, then take your time. The less stress, the better you'll enjoy your trip, and if you see some scenery that you want to take in, don't hesitate to stop in a turnout to take a pic, or just enjoy. (I had to do that a few times since I was the sole driver this trip)

Even though the law says that there has to be 5 cars behind you before you have to pull over & let them through, it's just courtesy to pull over in a turnout & let the car behind (even if it's just one) pass you.

I always tapped a thank you w/my horn when a car pulled over to let me pass during the day, and when it's getting dark, I'm a lot more cautious & tend to go slower (especially since we're on the lookout for deer & bears), so I tend to drive a lot slower and let cars pass me all the time.

It takes longer to reach a destination due to the curves. My ds would tell me, "It's only 15 miles," but 15 miles on a winding road takes a lot longer than here in the city... so, be sure to expect it to take longer to get to a destination when you see the mileage signs with the destinations.

A couple of years ago, I had an automatic, and drove from San Francisco to Yosemite. Going down the 140, which is steep, I could smell the brakes burning, which really worried me, so I stopped to let the car cool off. While there, a nice man gave me the same advice Rajah did -- drive in 2nd or 1st gear when going down steep grades - the engine will then adjust itself to drive more slowly, thus saving the brakes.

It's easier to see with the floodlights at night, but remember to turn them off & just use the regular headlights when there is oncoming traffic.

 

[lauraljp]

Thanks a million everyone!

We're driving a 2001 Dodge Caravan, automatic transmission. The van thanks you all too!

We'll be spending five nights in Colorado Springs and three nights in Denver. I'm most concerned about a tentative day trip over Independence Pass to Aspen. We made the same trip several years ago (on our honeymoon in 1986) and I know we were given mountain driving advice at that time, but I've managed to forget all that. Your advice was a much needed refresher course!

Manchurianbrownbear (lauraljp's DH).