Better Way to Summit County from Denver?

[Dave Petersen]

Unless you go early morning or late in the day, is there a better way to get up to Summit County? Lately every time I go traffic is almost at a standstill. In the above photo traffic was moving at 5-10 mph all the way from Denver to Idaho Springs.

I am tempted to drive down to Colorado Springs and come in the back way.

Any helpful suggestions?

 

[SBrown]

Timing is everything.

 

[coskigirl]

Yep, it's all about timing. You can use highway 6 up the canyon but that can be hit or miss. Especially if you get behind an old geezer heading to the casinos. You could also use 285 from Morrison but it can get busy as well, especially in the summer.

 

[Dave Petersen]

Timing is everything.

Colorado Department of Transportation probably has some tips.

I don't always have an option on what time I hit it though. Is it worth coming in the back way over Hoosier Pass, or is that just way too long?

 

[SBrown]

Colorado Department of Transporation probably has some tips.

I don't always have an option on what time I hit it though. Is it worth coming in the back way over Hoosier Pass, or is that just way too long?

It can be, but you have a lot of two-lane highway there, which in heavy summer traffic can be even worse.

 

[Dave Petersen]

It can be, but you have a lot of two-lane highway there, which in heavy summer traffic can be even worse.

Guess I need to move so I can just be there.

 

[Dave Petersen]

At least the scenery is good while one is stuck in traffic.

 

[mdf]

Different traffic in a different part of the country, but you know those relatively new signs with the distance to a landmark and an electronic time panel?

Last week driving to Cape Cod, we got "Sagamore Bridge: 7 miles. 66 minutes "

At that point, I am not sure I want to know.

 

[Don in Morrison]

Timing is so important that a 15 minute delay in departure can become an hour delay in arrival, and just to make things more complicated, the departure window itself is variable. Leaving at the same time on different Saturdays, for instance, can produce significant differences in arrival times

 

[Dave Petersen]

Timing is so important that a 15 minute delay in departure can become an hour delay in arrival, and just to make things more complicated, the departure window itself is variable. Leaving at the same time on different Saturdays, for instance, can produce significant differences in arrival times

I don't know how shuttle drivers do it and get their passengers to their destinations in a timely manner.

 

[UGASkiDawg]

I don't know how shuttle drivers do it and get their passengers to their destinations in a timely manner.

You have to leave 5 hours prior to your flight on normal days and if it's a stormy Sunday they will call you and try to move you up to 7 hours prior.

 

[Dave Petersen]

You have to leave 5 hours prior to your flight on normal days and if it's a stormy Sunday they will call you and try to move you up to 7 hours prior.

Yikes!

 

[mikel]

Timing is everything but unless you are traveling between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. it is potentially a roll of the dice anymore. Short of getting a place there is no good answer. Even that can have it's own set of issues in the winter if you have to drive somewhere. Especially if you have to go over Vail Pass. I remember one day trying to get from Copper just to the exit in Frisco and there were 5 accidents in Officers Gulch. Also know people that started coming up on Fri evenings and they ended the season getting frustrated with that traffic jam. I know the Sunday afternoon metering of the east bound traffic at the tunnel certainly frustrated some. And I'm talking well before 3:00 p.m.

I know @nay went the back way thru the Springs a couple of times. I think he said it took him about 4 hours going that way.

 

[SBrown]

Timing is everything but unless you are traveling between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. it is potentially a roll of the dice anymore. Short of getting a place there is no good answer. Even that can have it's own set of issues in the winter if you have to drive somewhere. Especially if you have to go over Vail Pass. I remember one day trying to get from Copper just to the exit in Frisco and there were 5 accidents in Officers Gulch. Also know people that started coming up on Fri evenings and they ended the season getting frustrated with that traffic jam. I know the Sunday afternoon metering of the east bound traffic at the tunnel certainly frustrated some. And I'm talking well before 3:00 p.m.

I know @nay went the back way thru the Springs a couple of times. I think he said it took him about 4 hours going that way.

Well, sort of. A Tuesday at noon, for example, is pretty much always okay. Especially in mud season. I spend a LOT of hours on I-70, and if you can avoid weekends/holidays and bad weather, it's really not a big deal. Mornings are the best, unless it's a ski day.

 

[Monique]

For Breck, you can go 285 ....

 

[SBrown]

For Breck, you can go 285 ....

I think that was the original question. Answer is Yes, with caveat.

 

[Don in Morrison]

For Winter Park, leaving my house at 6 AM on a Saturday morning, I get there about 7:30, If I leave at 6:30 I get there about 8:30. If I leave at 7 AM I get there about 9:30.

The main bottleneck is Floyd Hill, where 3 lanes squish down to 2.

 

[Dave Petersen]

Maybe they need a "suicide lane" like they have in Omaha. Traffic direction depends on time of day.