AARoads Forum

User Content => Road Trips => Topic started by: hbelkins on July 20, 2020, 01:21:40 PM

Title: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: hbelkins on July 20, 2020, 01:21:40 PM
So, if the opportunity presents itself, I'm considering doing a trip end-to-end on US 160, then doubling back to US 163 and trying to hit Monument Valley, the Moki Dugway, etc. Return trip would probably be getting up to I-70 and just coming east from whatever point I get on the interstate, but that's subject to change. (My brother has mentioned going to Utah sometime, and I'm trying to convince him to make this trip; he had mentioned flying out west and renting a car to go to Monument Valley and the Dugway, but there's no way I'd get on a plane right now because of the virus.)

So, I'm trying to figure out realistically how long it would take to drive the length of US 160, and where logical overnight stopping points would be.

If we left early enough the first day, we could realistically make it to Springfield the first night. But if we didn't depart (he lives about 2.5 hours away in the Golden Triangle area) until later in the day, the first night's stop would likely be either in Paducah, Sikeston, or Poplar Bluff, which would put us getting beyond Springfield on the first full day of travel. And the trip would be complicated by an impending closure of the US 51 bridge between Wickliffe and Cairo; probably the best bypass would be I-64 to I-57 instead of trying to cross at Paducah and then trying to get over to Cairo, especially since the Dorena-Hickman Ferry has been beset by closures this summer.

I'm not sure exactly where in Kansas would be targets to shoot for when considering overnight stops. I'm guessing plenty of opportunities are available in Trinidad and Walsenberg, which are the beginning and ending points of the I-25 concurrency, but I'm also guessing making it from Springfield to I-25 in one day would be a stretch. (By contrast, on a trip back in the early 1990s, we overnighted along I-70 in Hays, Kan., and the next day made it to a point south of I-70 (Montrose?) on US 50 to prepare for a drive down US 550 to the Four Corners, and then-US 666 to Gallup.)

Thoughts/ideas/suggestions?
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: MikieTimT on July 20, 2020, 01:45:02 PM
Don't know how often you get the chance to take a drive-on ferry ride, but if you're on US-160 east of Branson, then you're just a few short miles down MO/AR-125 from the Peel Ferry across Bull Shoals Lake.  It's free and there's always a line, including usually a mess of motorcycles, but you'd have to stay in your vehicle these days due to Covid-19.  Shame too, as it's cool to take kids on it and have them stand near the front and back as it transits the lake and peer down into the engine room at the John Deere diesel engine tugging you across.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 20, 2020, 02:03:41 PM
West of I-25 isn't really much a problem time wise since US 160 is either in rural areas, mountain passes, or the Navajo Nation. 
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: oscar on July 20, 2020, 02:12:17 PM
Alamosa CO has an abundance of lodging (at least in the Hampton Inn etc. range) and shopping. That and Salida CO (on US 50) are the places I usually overnight and reprovision, before spending a few days at a hot springs resort about halfway between the two off US 285. Alamosa is near Great Sand Dunes National Park, worth a look even if you don't try to surf down one of the dunes.

Pagosa Springs CO is pretty skimpy on the usual lodging chains. Cortez CO has a few. I'm not familiar with your options in Walsenburg CO and Trinidad CO, at opposite ends of the overlap with I-25.

The west end of US 160 is within the Navajo Nation. Right now, it has COVID 19-related restrictions to navigate around (most notably night and sometimes weekend curfews, and closure of Navajo-operated parks like the Four Corners tourist trap), though they didn't stop me from traveling part of US 160 within the reservation last month.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: ozarkman417 on July 20, 2020, 02:15:57 PM
The closest major city near the east end of 160 is Poplar Bluff. I would stay there, so you could get on 160 soon after you depart that day. Springfield, MO is about five hours away from the terminus, and the road becomes much less crooked after Reeds Spring Junction. I'm not sure how much you want to drive each day, on the long end (7hrs) you could leave the state and stay in Pittsburg KS.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 20, 2020, 02:49:19 PM
Quote from: oscar on July 20, 2020, 02:12:17 PM
Alamosa CO has an abundance of lodging (at least in the Hampton Inn etc. range) and shopping. That and Salida CO (on US 50) are the places I usually overnight and reprovision, before spending a few days at a hot springs resort about halfway between the two off US 285. Alamosa is near Great Sand Dunes National Park, worth a look even if you don't try to surf down one of the dunes.

Pagosa Springs CO is pretty skimpy on the usual lodging chains. Cortez CO has a few. I'm not familiar with your options in Walsenburg CO and Trinidad CO, at opposite ends of the overlap with I-25.

The west end of US 160 is within the Navajo Nation. Right now, it has COVID 19-related restrictions to navigate around (most notably night and sometimes weekend curfews, and closure of Navajo-operated parks like the Four Corners tourist trap), though they didn't stop me from traveling part of US 160 within the reservation last month.

That Econolodge in Alamosa in particular is huge.  It kind of gave me a 1970s vibe with the interior restaurant and sliding doors in the rooms the two times I stayed there. 
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: 1995hoo on July 20, 2020, 03:04:43 PM
Might not be the type of place you'd stay if you're travelling with your brother, but Ms1995hoo and I really liked the Valley of the Gods Bed and Breakfast (http://valleyofthegodsbandb.com/Index.htm), which is located right near the foot of the Moki Dugway (you can see headlights up on the cliffs if anyone's driving that way at night). Great dark sky area if you like to look at the night sky, too, as it's the only building within about a 14-mile radius. I think there are one or two places to stay about 15 miles away in Mexican Hat and some other places further east in Bluff. We had dinner at Comb Ridge Food and Drink in Bluff and it was excellent (we drove back to Bluff after checking in at the B&B, then drove back again; unfortunately, we didn't get the chance to do the 17-mile unpaved road through the Valley of the Gods). I would have liked to have tried the Cottonwood Steakhouse across the street from Comb Ridge, but we got there too early and it wasn't open yet, plus the B&B's owner recommended Comb Ridge so we figured we'd give it a try.

At the top of the Moki Dugway, there's a dirt road that goes off to the left that lets you drive over to Muley Point for a really good scenic view out to Monument Valley in the distance. Well worth the short side trip for the view. We didn't go any further north from there, instead turning around and heading back down the Dugway, because we were on our way to the Grand Canyon.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: corco on July 20, 2020, 03:12:17 PM
Quote from: oscar on July 20, 2020, 02:12:17 PM
Alamosa CO has an abundance of lodging (at least in the Hampton Inn etc. range) and shopping. That and Salida CO (on US 50) are the places I usually overnight and reprovision, before spending a few days at a hot springs resort about halfway between the two off US 285. Alamosa is near Great Sand Dunes National Park, worth a look even if you don't try to surf down one of the dunes.

Pagosa Springs CO is pretty skimpy on the usual lodging chains. Cortez CO has a few. I'm not familiar with your options in Walsenburg CO and Trinidad CO, at opposite ends of the overlap with I-25.

The west end of US 160 is within the Navajo Nation. Right now, it has COVID 19-related restrictions to navigate around (most notably night and sometimes weekend curfews, and closure of Navajo-operated parks like the Four Corners tourist trap), though they didn't stop me from traveling part of US 160 within the reservation last month.

Trinidad is an excellent spot to overnight - they have a great Super 8 and good food options. Downtown Trinidad is unique and cool, too - but not in the trendy hipster way. Can't say much about Walsenburg.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: hbelkins on July 20, 2020, 04:24:33 PM
What's closed at Four Corners? The entire monument, or just the souvenir stands? I was there back in the early 90s, but that was before they rebuilt the facilities. Not sure that we'd go by there even if the marker was still open but the vendors were closed.

Our accommodations would be "clean but cheap." Motel 6, Super 8, Days Inn, Rodeway, EconoLodge, etc.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: kphoger on July 20, 2020, 04:35:26 PM
Quote from: corco on July 20, 2020, 03:12:17 PM

Quote from: oscar on July 20, 2020, 02:12:17 PM
Alamosa CO has an abundance of lodging (at least in the Hampton Inn etc. range) and shopping. That and Salida CO (on US 50) are the places I usually overnight and reprovision, before spending a few days at a hot springs resort about halfway between the two off US 285. Alamosa is near Great Sand Dunes National Park, worth a look even if you don't try to surf down one of the dunes.

Pagosa Springs CO is pretty skimpy on the usual lodging chains. Cortez CO has a few. I'm not familiar with your options in Walsenburg CO and Trinidad CO, at opposite ends of the overlap with I-25.

The west end of US 160 is within the Navajo Nation. Right now, it has COVID 19-related restrictions to navigate around (most notably night and sometimes weekend curfews, and closure of Navajo-operated parks like the Four Corners tourist trap), though they didn't stop me from traveling part of US 160 within the reservation last month.

Trinidad is an excellent spot to overnight - they have a great Super 8 and good food options. Downtown Trinidad is unique and cool, too - but not in the trendy hipster way. Can't say much about Walsenburg.

Neither Trinidad nor Walsenburg has any chain hotel/motel under $90 that gets more than 3.5 stars on Google.  Alamosa, OTOH, has three of them.  I'd pick the Days Inn, personally.

Durango, likewise the Days Inn.

Cortez has several options under $80.

There's not really anything between Winfield, KS (two options under $70), and I-25.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: US71 on July 20, 2020, 04:37:22 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on July 20, 2020, 01:21:40 PM
So, if the opportunity presents itself, I'm considering doing a trip end-to-end on US 160, then doubling back to US 163 and trying to hit Monument Valley, the Moki Dugway, etc. Return trip would probably be getting up to I-70 and just coming east from whatever point I get on the interstate, but that's subject to change. (My brother has mentioned going to Utah sometime, and I'm trying to convince him to make this trip; he had mentioned flying out west and renting a car to go to Monument Valley and the Dugway, but there's no way I'd get on a plane right now because of the virus.)

So, I'm trying to figure out realistically how long it would take to drive the length of US 160, and where logical overnight stopping points would be.

If we left early enough the first day, we could realistically make it to Springfield the first night. But if we didn't depart (he lives about 2.5 hours away in the Golden Triangle area) until later in the day, the first night's stop would likely be either in Paducah, Sikeston, or Poplar Bluff, which would put us getting beyond Springfield on the first full day of travel. And the trip would be complicated by an impending closure of the US 51 bridge between Wickliffe and Cairo; probably the best bypass would be I-64 to I-57 instead of trying to cross at Paducah and then trying to get over to Cairo, especially since the Dorena-Hickman Ferry has been beset by closures this summer.

I'm not sure exactly where in Kansas would be targets to shoot for when considering overnight stops. I'm guessing plenty of opportunities are available in Trinidad and Walsenberg, which are the beginning and ending points of the I-25 concurrency, but I'm also guessing making it from Springfield to I-25 in one day would be a stretch. (By contrast, on a trip back in the early 1990s, we overnighted along I-70 in Hays, Kan., and the next day made it to a point south of I-70 (Montrose?) on US 50 to prepare for a drive down US 550 to the Four Corners, and then-US 666 to Gallup.)

Thoughts/ideas/suggestions?

Springfield and West Plains are your best bets in Missouri for accommodation, but I don't know enough about Kansas beyond Pittsburg and Independence.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: kphoger on July 20, 2020, 04:50:34 PM
Quote from: US71 on July 20, 2020, 04:37:22 PM
I don't know enough about Kansas beyond Pittsburg and Independence.

Nothing, really, between Independence and Winfield.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: oscar on July 20, 2020, 10:40:05 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on July 20, 2020, 04:24:33 PM
What's closed at Four Corners? The entire monument, or just the souvenir stands?

Everything. Barricades block the access road (NM 597) at US 160.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: hbelkins on July 21, 2020, 06:00:36 PM
Quote from: US71 on July 20, 2020, 04:37:22 PM
Springfield and West Plains are your best bets in Missouri for accommodation, but I don't know enough about Kansas beyond Pittsburg and Independence.

I'd want to stay at the Rail Haven in Springfield, just for the historical aspect of it.

I ended up staying there back in 2013 when I had to detour via Springfield on my way home from the Wichita meet because I'd had car trouble and had left my vehicle in Springfield on Friday to be fixed on Monday.

A morning departure from Kentucky would allow us to make Springfield on the first night; but if we ended up staying somewhere east of Poplar Bluff the first night, we'd obviously make it farther than Springfield the next day.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: kphoger on July 22, 2020, 12:50:03 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on July 21, 2020, 06:00:36 PM

Quote from: US71 on July 20, 2020, 04:37:22 PM
Springfield and West Plains are your best bets in Missouri for accommodation, but I don't know enough about Kansas beyond Pittsburg and Independence.

I'd want to stay at the Rail Haven in Springfield, just for the historical aspect of it.

I ended up staying there back in 2013 when I had to detour via Springfield on my way home from the Wichita meet because I'd had car trouble and had left my vehicle in Springfield on Friday to be fixed on Monday.

A morning departure from Kentucky would allow us to make Springfield on the first night; but if we ended up staying somewhere east of Poplar Bluff the first night, we'd obviously make it farther than Springfield the next day.

Speaking of Poplar Bluff, the Motel 6 just northwest of town (https://goo.gl/maps/fbh6u3Ps2HACQ9bF9) is fairly new construction and currently has an average of 4.1 stars on Google.  My best friends stayed there a few years ago on their way to South Carolina and had no complaints.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: US71 on July 22, 2020, 01:16:00 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 22, 2020, 12:50:03 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on July 21, 2020, 06:00:36 PM

Quote from: US71 on July 20, 2020, 04:37:22 PM
Springfield and West Plains are your best bets in Missouri for accommodation, but I don't know enough about Kansas beyond Pittsburg and Independence.

I'd want to stay at the Rail Haven in Springfield, just for the historical aspect of it.

I ended up staying there back in 2013 when I had to detour via Springfield on my way home from the Wichita meet because I'd had car trouble and had left my vehicle in Springfield on Friday to be fixed on Monday.

A morning departure from Kentucky would allow us to make Springfield on the first night; but if we ended up staying somewhere east of Poplar Bluff the first night, we'd obviously make it farther than Springfield the next day.

Speaking of Poplar Bluff, the Motel 6 just northwest of town (https://goo.gl/maps/fbh6u3Ps2HACQ9bF9) is fairly new construction and currently has an average of 4.1 stars on Google.  My best friends stayed there a few years ago on their way to South Carolina and had no complaints.

So they haven't had time to run it into the ground yet? ;)
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: oscar on July 22, 2020, 01:20:44 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 22, 2020, 12:50:03 PM
Speaking of Poplar Bluff, the Motel 6 just northwest of town (https://goo.gl/maps/fbh6u3Ps2HACQ9bF9) is fairly new construction and currently has an average of 4.1 stars on Google.  My best friends stayed there a few years ago on their way to South Carolina and had no complaints.

That tip helps me out, since I might take the eastern part of US 160 on my way out to Colorado (I've covered everything west of US 83). Similar new-model Motel 6s have elevators, which I need for my lower back pain.

Quote from: US71 on July 20, 2020, 04:37:22 PM
So they haven't had time to run it into the ground yet? ;)

More typical fate of that kind of Motel 6 seems to be conversion to a Quality Inn or better, as happened to the one I stayed at (pre-conversion) in Moncton NB.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: kphoger on July 22, 2020, 01:25:39 PM
Quote from: oscar on July 22, 2020, 01:20:44 PM

Quote from: kphoger on July 22, 2020, 12:50:03 PM
Speaking of Poplar Bluff, the Motel 6 just northwest of town (https://goo.gl/maps/fbh6u3Ps2HACQ9bF9) is fairly new construction and currently has an average of 4.1 stars on Google.  My best friends stayed there a few years ago on their way to South Carolina and had no complaints.

That tip helps me out, since I might take the eastern part of US 160 on my way out to Colorado (I've covered everything west of US 83). Similar new-model Motel 6s have elevators, which I need for my lower back pain.

Photos on Google (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Motel+6+Poplar+Bluff,+MO/@36.8030911,-90.4588552,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipOiG1ovV_fo8l1RgyZ-N-9dBSMQYvYQi1jBbx_a!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipOiG1ovV_fo8l1RgyZ-N-9dBSMQYvYQi1jBbx_a%3Dw203-h135-k-no!7i2880!8i1920!4m10!3m9!1s0x87d7a537fadd030f:0xe0c383843e543688!5m2!4m1!1i2!8m2!3d36.8032294!4d-90.4590852!14m1!1BCgIgAQ?hl=en) confirm that there is an elevator.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: kphoger on July 22, 2020, 01:28:12 PM
Quote from: US71 on July 22, 2020, 01:16:00 PM
So they haven't had time to run it into the ground yet? ;)

It was still under construction in early 2016 (https://goo.gl/maps/HBiQV4kqvLJoEBq1A).  Definitely new enough to still be good.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: US71 on July 22, 2020, 05:20:20 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 22, 2020, 01:25:39 PM
Quote from: oscar on July 22, 2020, 01:20:44 PM

Quote from: kphoger on July 22, 2020, 12:50:03 PM
Speaking of Poplar Bluff, the Motel 6 just northwest of town (https://goo.gl/maps/fbh6u3Ps2HACQ9bF9) is fairly new construction and currently has an average of 4.1 stars on Google.  My best friends stayed there a few years ago on their way to South Carolina and had no complaints.

That tip helps me out, since I might take the eastern part of US 160 on my way out to Colorado (I've covered everything west of US 83). Similar new-model Motel 6s have elevators, which I need for my lower back pain.

Photos on Google (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Motel+6+Poplar+Bluff,+MO/@36.8030911,-90.4588552,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipOiG1ovV_fo8l1RgyZ-N-9dBSMQYvYQi1jBbx_a!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipOiG1ovV_fo8l1RgyZ-N-9dBSMQYvYQi1jBbx_a%3Dw203-h135-k-no!7i2880!8i1920!4m10!3m9!1s0x87d7a537fadd030f:0xe0c383843e543688!5m2!4m1!1i2!8m2!3d36.8032294!4d-90.4590852!14m1!1BCgIgAQ?hl=en) confirm that there is an elevator.

One would think with multiple floors there would be an elevator, though that is not always true.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: US71 on July 22, 2020, 09:56:00 PM
West of I-44 in Springfield, there is lots of road construction as MODOT is widening US 160.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: ozarkman417 on July 22, 2020, 10:46:49 PM
Quote from: US71 on July 22, 2020, 09:56:00 PM
West of I-44 in Springfield, there is lots of road construction as MODOT is widening US 160.
They recently opened some of the new roundabouts. Sure do love going from 60 to 20 mph on a highway like that.
^
Better than coming to a complete stop at a light?

SM-G965U
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: apeman33 on July 23, 2020, 12:02:49 AM
Your best bet for decent overnight stays on U.S. 160 in Kansas decrease as you go west. In southeast Kansas, there will be Pittsburg, Parsons and Independence. Then nothing for almost 2 hours until Winfield. Then practically nothing between Wellington and Ulysses.

However, on a road trip last summer, I discovered a surprisingly scenic area between Medicine Lodge and Coldwater. There's a kiosk about halfway in between that has a lot of history about the area.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: hbelkins on July 30, 2020, 11:05:39 AM
Quote from: apeman33 on July 23, 2020, 12:02:49 AM
Your best bet for decent overnight stays on U.S. 160 in Kansas decrease as you go west. In southeast Kansas, there will be Pittsburg, Parsons and Independence. Then nothing for almost 2 hours until Winfield. Then practically nothing between Wellington and Ulysses.

That's what I feared. There are very few towns of any size, or with major intersections, west of the turnpike. I'm thinking it might be best to leave early the first day and stay in Springfield, and then try to get all the way to I-25 the second day.

When I went out west with my dad and brother years ago, we left very early and made it to Hays, Kan., the first day, and either Delta or Montrose, Col., the second night. Of course back then the speed limit on the interstates was 55 mph, so that slowed us down somewhat.

I'm also concerned about options west of the Four Corners. I'm thinking that if I could make it to I-25, I'd be looking at something in Arizona on the third night. Kayenta and Tuba City appear to be the largest towns along the route.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: kphoger on July 30, 2020, 11:34:48 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on July 30, 2020, 11:05:39 AM
I'm thinking it might be best to leave early the first day and stay in Springfield, and then try to get all the way to I-25 the second day.

Judging by online reviews, your choices along I-25 are either (1) over $100 a night or (2) dumps.

Google Maps tells me that it's 767 miles from Springfield to Trinidad using US-160.  That is a heck of a long day's drive on two-lane roads.

Honestly, it might be worth taking a 20-mile deviation into Liberal (https://goo.gl/maps/pgPnKxCmiNgt3bcL6) (link to Google Maps directions) and stay the night there.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: oscar on July 30, 2020, 12:21:02 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 30, 2020, 11:34:48 AM
Judging by online reviews, your choices along I-25 are either (1) over $100 a night or (2) dumps.

Google Maps tells me that it's 767 miles from Springfield to Trinidad using US-160.  That is a heck of a long day's drive on two-lane roads.

Honestly, it might be worth taking a 20-mile deviation into Liberal (https://goo.gl/maps/pgPnKxCmiNgt3bcL6) (link to Google Maps directions) and stay the night there.

Or maybe deviate in the opposite direction, into Garden City?
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: Scott5114 on August 03, 2020, 08:34:48 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 30, 2020, 11:34:48 AM
Honestly, it might be worth taking a 20-mile deviation into Liberal (https://goo.gl/maps/pgPnKxCmiNgt3bcL6) (link to Google Maps directions) and stay the night there.

Also, visiting Liberal makes it easy to pick up Texas and Beaver counties in Oklahoma, if you want to go on a short excursion to do that after you drop your brother off at the room.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: apeman33 on August 08, 2020, 09:13:43 PM
Quote from: oscar on July 30, 2020, 12:21:02 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 30, 2020, 11:34:48 AM
Judging by online reviews, your choices along I-25 are either (1) over $100 a night or (2) dumps.

Google Maps tells me that it's 767 miles from Springfield to Trinidad using US-160.  That is a heck of a long day's drive on two-lane roads.

Honestly, it might be worth taking a 20-mile deviation into Liberal (https://goo.gl/maps/pgPnKxCmiNgt3bcL6) (link to Google Maps directions) and stay the night there.

Or maybe deviate in the opposite direction, into Garden City?

Longer deviation. Liberal is good. The best motels are on the west side on U.S. 54 or at U.S. 83 at the very north end of town.

You'd also get to see the north end of U.S. 270, which runs in Kansas only from the state line to the intersection of 54 and 83. The only reason that part still exists is because Oklahoma wouldn't agree to terminate 270 at the intersection with 83 north of Turpin.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: oscar on August 08, 2020, 09:44:08 PM
^ Makes sense for H.B. But I've stayed overnight in Seward County KS (a long time ago, don't remember where I stayed), and I'm trying to stay overnight in counties I haven't stayed before. So the trip I'm plotting (entering Colorado via KS/CO 96, since I've clinched all of US 160 west of US 83) will include an overnight stay in Garden City.

I might, time permitting, deviate to Liberal anyway, and beyond to Hooker OK and back before heading north to Garden City. I don't need the OK counties south of Liberal for my "round 2" count. But it would fill a hole in my coverage of US 54, which I might finish off on my way back from Colorado.

BTW, H.B., it looks from your counties map like you might've clinched the short and mostly intrastate US 166 already, since you have a strip of counties in Kansas along the Oklahoma border, including one (Chautauqua) served by US 166 but missed by US 160. Is my guess right?
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: kphoger on August 11, 2020, 12:54:10 PM
Quote from: oscar on August 08, 2020, 09:44:08 PM
I might, time permitting, deviate to Liberal anyway, and beyond to Hooker OK and back before heading north to Garden City.

I have childhood memories of driving through Hooker.  Back then, there was a farmhouse visible from US-54 with 'HOOKER HARDWARE' painted on the roof in huge letters.  I could only assume such a business existed in case one's prostitute needed modifications.  Alas, the building doesn't seem to exist anymore, as I've been unable to locate it on Google Maps upon several attempts.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: hbelkins on August 11, 2020, 01:23:36 PM
Quote from: oscar on August 08, 2020, 09:44:08 PM
^ Makes sense for H.B. But I've stayed overnight in Seward County KS (a long time ago, don't remember where I stayed), and I'm trying to stay overnight in counties I haven't stayed before. So the trip I'm plotting (entering Colorado via KS/CO 96, since I've clinched all of US 160 west of US 83) will include an overnight stay in Garden City.

I might, time permitting, deviate to Liberal anyway, and beyond to Hooker OK and back before heading north to Garden City. I don't need the OK counties south of Liberal for my "round 2" count. But it would fill a hole in my coverage of US 54, which I might finish off on my way back from Colorado.

BTW, H.B., it looks from your counties map like you might've clinched the short and mostly intrastate US 166 already, since you have a strip of counties in Kansas along the Oklahoma border, including one (Chautauqua) served by US 166 but missed by US 160. Is my guess right?

Yes, I clinched US 166 on my trip to the Wichita meet back in 2013, which was a consolation prize for having my trip altered by my vehicle breakdown outside of Springfield. My plan was to get a bunch of those Oklahoma counties on the way out to Wichita, spend Friday night in Wichita, and then had a reservation in Lawrence for Saturday night after the meet before heading home via I-70 on Sunday. But my vehicle woes altered my plans. I overnighted in Joplin on Friday, then drove to Wichita via US 400, which got me the concurrent part of 166. I couldn't cancel my Lawrence reservation, and I had to stay in Springfield on Sunday night so I could pick up my vehicle on Monday, so I changed up my travel plans. On Sunday I went back to Wichita and then did a modified reversal of my intended routing, and I decided to clinch US 166 when I headed back east. I enjoyed that drive, which was surprisingly scenic through the Flint Hills.

I may have my brother talked into making the trip. He's going a bit stir-crazy and is itching to get out of his house for awhile, so he may be a go for this. I'm shooting for late September or early October to do this, assuming he doesn't decide to go fishing in Florida or Alabama at some point during that timeframe.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: kphoger on August 11, 2020, 02:43:11 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on August 11, 2020, 01:23:36 PM
I'm shooting for late September or early October to do this, assuming he doesn't decide to go fishing in Florida or Alabama at some point during that timeframe.

It looks like I'm going to be picking up about 250 miles of US-160 at the very end of September.  It'll be funny if we pass each other.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: oscar on August 11, 2020, 07:42:53 PM
Quote from: kphoger on August 11, 2020, 12:54:10 PM
I have childhood memories of driving through Hooker.  Back then, there was a farmhouse visible from US-54 with 'HOOKER HARDWARE' painted on the roof in huge letters.  I could only assume such a business existed in case one's prostitute needed modifications.  Alas, the building doesn't seem to exist anymore, as I've been unable to locate it on Google Maps upon several attempts.

I drove through Hooker in late June, as part of a US 64 clinching effort. I don't recall seeing such a roof sign.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: kphoger on August 12, 2020, 11:39:38 AM
Quote from: oscar on August 11, 2020, 07:42:53 PM

Quote from: kphoger on August 11, 2020, 12:54:10 PM
I have childhood memories of driving through Hooker.  Back then, there was a farmhouse visible from US-54 with 'HOOKER HARDWARE' painted on the roof in huge letters.  I could only assume such a business existed in case one's prostitute needed modifications.  Alas, the building doesn't seem to exist anymore, as I've been unable to locate it on Google Maps upon several attempts.

I drove through Hooker in late June, as part of a US 64 clinching effort. I don't recall seeing such a roof sign.

I remember it being visible from US-54 (southeast side of the highway), not US-64, northeast of town.  But, as I said, I don't think it's there anymore.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: hbelkins on August 13, 2020, 04:31:15 PM
Starting to put this together in case it does work out. Poplar Bluff to Independence would be a good first-full-day trip (add an hour if I stay in Sikeston and another hour if I stay in Paducah the first partial day). There are some pretty decent accommodations in Independence at some good rates.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: kphoger on August 13, 2020, 04:47:04 PM
Independence to Alamosa would be a heck of a long day, but still doable.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: oscar on September 02, 2020, 12:28:33 AM
I completed last week my attempt to clinch all of the part of US 160 I hadn't already clinched. My US 160 travels stopped at Ulysses KS, since I'd clinched the route in AZ, NM, and CO, as well as the part in KS west of US 83.

There is a bridge closure detour for US 160 in Dade County MO, which I had to bypass using secondary route O. Missouri 511 says the closure will last a few more months (IIRC, target is early December).

I suggest that you not wait if you can, and plan on coming back later to finish the gap in your coverage of the route. On a route as long as US 160, you're bound to have a closure somewhere. If you wait for a closure to be fixed, a new one will probably pop up somewhere else, and so the entire route may never be open to traffic at any given time.

Traveler services were limited from I-35 (Wellington, which has a Walmart) west to Meade. No danger of running out of gas, but don't be choosy, or wait until your tank is almost empty.

I might have more to add later on other things.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: hbelkins on October 05, 2020, 07:54:18 PM
Looking more and more like I won't be doing this trip this year. My brother's October is pretty busy, and it probably won't be too much longer before weather would impact travel across the mountains in Colorado. I will probably have to wait until next spring unless something comes up.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: US71 on October 05, 2020, 08:03:53 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 05, 2020, 07:54:18 PM
Looking more and more like I won't be doing this trip this year. My brother's October is pretty busy, and it probably won't be too much longer before weather would impact travel across the mountains in Colorado. I will probably have to wait until next spring unless something comes up.

Just as well. Maybe the world will be a little less crazy by then.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: hbelkins on October 06, 2020, 03:27:25 PM
Quote from: US71 on October 05, 2020, 08:03:53 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 05, 2020, 07:54:18 PM
Looking more and more like I won't be doing this trip this year. My brother's October is pretty busy, and it probably won't be too much longer before weather would impact travel across the mountains in Colorado. I will probably have to wait until next spring unless something comes up.

Just as well. Maybe the world will be a little less crazy by then.


Actually, the thoughts of traveling now are appealing. Gas is reasonably priced, and room rates are fairly low because of suppressed demand.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: kphoger on October 07, 2020, 10:07:44 AM
I just completed the following portions of US-160:

– 49 miles from K-144 to K-27

– 119 miles from US-385 to Trinidad, CO (Main St)

– 15½ miles of the I-25 overlap, from Exit 30 to Exit 15

– 40 miles from Huerfano (CO) CR-450 to CO-150
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: hbelkins on October 26, 2020, 12:46:29 PM
This is now officially off the table for this year. My brother is interested in doing it next year, though. Anyone have a general idea on when in the spring weather becomes mostly a non-issue across the Rockies between I-25 and Durango? I'm thinking probably April, since last year on our Amtrak journey on the California Zephyr, it was snowing at the first stop west of Denver. (Can't remember the town).
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: zzcarp on October 29, 2020, 02:16:50 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 26, 2020, 12:46:29 PM
This is now officially off the table for this year. My brother is interested in doing it next year, though. Anyone have a general idea on when in the spring weather becomes mostly a non-issue across the Rockies between I-25 and Durango? I'm thinking probably April, since last year on our Amtrak journey on the California Zephyr, it was snowing at the first stop west of Denver. (Can't remember the town).

For the mountain passes, weather is never a "non-issue". There are sometimes high mountain snowstorms into May (and can have measurable snow in June too). That said, April has mostly beautiful days, but it is one of our snowiest months so you could hit a dumping of snow.

CDOT does a good job maintaining the roads, so unless you hit a true blizzard you should be fine in April. If you want to avoid almost any risk of snow, wait until after Mother's Day in May.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: hbelkins on March 19, 2021, 11:48:34 PM
This may be back on the table, as I have a whole bunch of vacation days now piled up, and my brother seems interested in doing a road trip (he proposed me riding to Florida with him to scout out camping/fishing spots back in the winter, but I had to back out because I was sticking close to home to tend to a then-sick, now-deceased dog). I definitely want to do 160 to its terminus, then double back and pick up 163 through Monument Valley and then hit the Moki Dugway going downhill. Not sure where we might end up after that, but my guess is I-70 on the return trip.

I'll need to check my brother's schedule, as I think March and April are busy for him, but May would probably be better in terms of weather across the mountains.

As I'd mentioned previously, a good full first day of travel would be from Paducah/Sikeston/Poplar Bluff to Independence. We'd have to see about the rest of the journey. He'd be making accommodation arrangements so I wouldn't be as picky as I am if I'm traveling alone (preferring exterior corridors and the like).
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: Scott5114 on March 20, 2021, 12:06:54 AM
Beware of May in KS-MO–that's peak tornado season in this part of the country. Of course, there's no way in advance knowing if any given day is going to be good or bad, but I'd push it back to June to be safe (June is hot, but not usually as hot as July-August).
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: 1995hoo on March 20, 2021, 04:23:26 PM
Just to make sure you're clear: If you go through Monument Valley and then head north on UT-261, you'll be going up the Moki Dugway, not down, unless you do like we did and turn around and go back down (as I noted earlier in the thread, we headed down the dirt road to Muley Point first, and the view was worth it).
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: hbelkins on March 20, 2021, 08:31:47 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 20, 2021, 12:06:54 AM
Beware of May in KS-MO–that's peak tornado season in this part of the country.

You say that like it's a bad thing. :-D If I got to work a twister sighting into the trip, that would make it even better. I'd still love to go on a storm-chasing tour sometime, but my wife's not too keen on the idea. My brother and his wife drove through a tornado-warned storm in Minnesota on their way back from their honeymoon, but they didn't actually get to see the funnel.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: Scott5114 on March 20, 2021, 09:29:46 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 20, 2021, 08:31:47 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 20, 2021, 12:06:54 AM
Beware of May in KS-MO–that's peak tornado season in this part of the country.

You say that like it's a bad thing. :-D If I got to work a twister sighting into the trip, that would make it even better. I'd still love to go on a storm-chasing tour sometime, but my wife's not too keen on the idea. My brother and his wife drove through a tornado-warned storm in Minnesota on their way back from their honeymoon, but they didn't actually get to see the funnel.

I mean, it can certainly be fun, but storms in this part of the country during that particular time of year can range from "exciting light show with a few spinups here and there" to "levels entire cities". The tornado which completely destroyed Greensburg, KS (on US-54/400, to the north of the US-160 corridor) took place during the first week of May. Things can very quickly go from a fun romp to "the President will be here for a photo-op in a few days" territory, and it's pretty hard to continue a roadtrip when your car has been picked up from where you left it and forcibly placed in an adjoining county by a rotating column of air with a flagrant disrespect for property rights.

June weather tends to favor nighttime squall lines, which are primarily wind and hail, with occasional weaker tornadoes. Just as exciting as supercells if you're not familiar with Plains weather, but less likely to try to kill you.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: kphoger on March 23, 2021, 12:24:19 PM
Yeah, hail can put a damper on driving.  But I've never considered tornado threat to really affect my travels.  Just means you might hit storms.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: Scott5114 on March 23, 2021, 03:53:53 PM
I am not really afraid of tornadoes–if I were I would have moved a long time ago–but it can be extremely tricky to keep track of both the position of a dangerous storm and your own position when both are moving, especially if you're in a region where you aren't familiar enough with the names of counties or towns to have a good idea of how close a cell is.

It can also be difficult to find up-to-date weather information while driving, since car radios don't receive NOAA weather radio. TV meteorologists are often simulcast on radio, but often rely too much on Doppler displays as a visual aid, making it difficult to follow on the radio. They also tend to fixate on individual cells that threaten the larger cities in the viewing area, and can sometimes neglect cells in more rural areas long enough that it would make it difficult to keep track of their location. (This tendency is why I splurged on a software package that pulls radar data straight off the NOAA network, so I can keep an up-to-the-minute track of individual cells that I am interested in, while the guys on TV are salivating over some gee-whiz storm that has no chance of impacting me.)

At the very least, a roadtrip essential through this region in May would be a battery-operated NOAA weather radio, which I would keep on instead of any sort of music playlist any time I was in an area that carried a Hazardous Weather Outlook of Slight or above. Ideally, I'd either let someone else drive, or enlist a geography-minded copilot riding shotgun. Either way, someone who is not driving should be correlating NWS announcements and warning polygons with a map and the car's current location to advise the driver on when it may be a good idea to stop and wait, detour, or seek shelter.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: kphoger on March 23, 2021, 04:00:48 PM
meh.  I've lived in Kansas most of my life and never even heard anybody suggest keeping a weather radio in the car.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: webny99 on March 23, 2021, 04:35:12 PM
Quote from: kphoger on March 23, 2021, 04:00:48 PMI've lived in Kansas most of my life and never even heard anybody suggest keeping a weather radio in the car.

If someone was going to make that suggestion, they'd probably make it to a newcomer, not a long-time local.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: Scott5114 on March 23, 2021, 05:35:19 PM
Right, a local would have more information about the local geography, the types of threats possible, and the good local sources of information that they wouldn't need to rely on a weather radio (though I definitely have one around the house that I bring with us if there is a need to take shelter). At least in Oklahoma, most people have a pretty good feel as to the typical tracks of strong storms, enough to know that if they hear, e.g. Bridge Creek is being affected by a dangerous storm, the next place it is likely to end up is Newcastle, then Moore, then southside Oklahoma City. An out-of-towner doesn't have that experience.

Likewise, a local is able to simply plan their day around the storms–"weather's supposed to be bad tonight, so I'm gonna go straight home instead of going to the store; I can do that tomorrow". A traveler doesn't really have the option to do that, since they are following an itinerary and, when storms hit, may find themselves in an area that has no place to stop for the night (especially in a region without many large towns, such as the US-160 corridor through southwest Kansas).
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: kphoger on March 23, 2021, 05:49:13 PM
No, what I mean is that I've always just gone on driving trips in this part of the country without worrying at all if severe weather was in the works–except maybe a blizzard.  When there are storms in the area, I never turn on the radio to see where they're heading.  Now, if I see rotation or a wall cloud or something, then I just kind of keep an eye on it and see if it seems to be moving my direction, but that's about it.  Even when I've known there were active tornado warnings in the area, even a spotting, I always grew up just looking at the sky for information.

And I've never owned a weather radio.

(There was only one time that I actually considered taking cover while "on the road", and that was in southern Illinois.  I was driving a delivery route of janitorial supplies, it was raining cats and dogs, and there was tornadic activity expected.  At one customer stop, the sirens went off and the employees started heading for shelter.  The worker I was delivering to offered for me to head to the tornado shelter with them.  The reason I didn't?  The customer was General Dynamics, and I figured I'd rather take my chances with a tornado out on the road than surrounded by missiles and other explosives.)
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: hbelkins on March 24, 2021, 02:26:34 PM
I keep the alerts turned off on my phone, and have since there was some sort of system-wide test of the network a few years ago. (It was wild to hear different alarms going off on different peoples' phones at odd intervals throughout our building. Someone's phone would start bleating, then a couple of seconds later, another would go off; a minute would pass by and a couple more would sound the alarm.) It would be pretty simple to turn them back on, since they seem to be targeted to whatever geographic area you're in.

And one could always watch the local weather in the hotel the night before in case storms were in the forecast for the next day, and start scanning sources if the sky starts to look threatening.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: Scott5114 on March 24, 2021, 02:38:40 PM
I wouldn't count on the cell phone in a severe weather event. I normally don't get severe weather alerts on my phone in anything but the worst weather events, and when I do, they're usually so late that the danger has already passed. Also, during tornadic events, the cell network often goes down entirely for about 15 minutes. I don't think this has anything to do with storm itself, just the crush of "Are you okay?" calls and messages.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: kphoger on March 24, 2021, 03:02:15 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 24, 2021, 02:38:40 PM
I wouldn't count on the cell phone in a severe weather event. I normally don't get severe weather alerts on my phone in anything but the worst weather events, and when I do, they're usually so late that the danger has already passed. Also, during tornadic events, the cell network often goes down entirely for about 15 minutes. I don't think this has anything to do with storm itself, just the crush of "Are you okay?" calls and messages.

Yep, I expect to be completely incommunicado when there's an actual tornado bearing down on me.  Generally, the TV and internet service disappears first, then maybe cell service.  By that point, I'm in the basement and unable to see outside as well.  It's just a wait-and-pray kind of situation.

I do wonder if our age difference plays a part.  I grew up driving when hardly anyone had a cell phone.  When we finally got one, it hardly ever had signal out in the countryside;  I remember driving in rural northwestern Kansas and northeastern Colorado and pulling over, putting an magnet-mounted external antenna on the roof, checking for signal, driving to the next hill, doing the same thing, driving to the next hill...  It wasn't until I was already married with kids that smartphones became common.  Relying on my phone while driving is simply not something I grew up with.

I was just thinking about this yesterday.  My senior year of high school, I drove 3½ hours by myself from my home in northwestern Kansas to DIA, then caught a flight to O'Hare to visit a university there.  When I arrived at O'Hare, the people picking me up were in the wrong terminal (they went to American rather than ATA), then I just happened to hear my name on an overhead page.  I spent the week at the university, flew back to DIA, and drove home.  I'm not sure I called my parents a single time during that whole process.  Maybe once, I don't remember.  Nowadays, parents would expect a call upon arrival at the airport, another call upon landing, a call to check in during the week, a call after the return flight, etc, etc.  I guess I grew up in a different world.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: Scott5114 on March 24, 2021, 11:37:51 PM
For clarity, I'm merely speculating on the cause for the cell network going down: extreme network congestion from thousands of these messages being sent all at once. I usually observe enough Doppler information to know how likely it is any family or friends have been impacted by a storm, so contacting them typically is more a matter of curiosity about their experience, which tends to happen hours after the event, if at all.

My personal practice is probably a lot closer to yours; I didn't have my first cell phone until relatively late in life (I think my senior year of high school?) compared to my peers. It was a Motorola Razr, by no means a smartphone (the browser was total garbage! and apps? what are those? I think it had Snake), and we didn't have text messaging as part of our phone plan for a long time. I still am reluctant to use the phone while driving (trying to talk and drive makes me noticeably worse at both) so I will generally just let it ring unless it's my wife, and I have had to do things like just hang up on her mid-sentence because she's talking about something unimportant, not responding to "Okay, I need to go", and something is going on where I need to focus on the road (doesn't win me any brownie points with her, for sure, but neither would wrecking the car or getting a ticket).

I have a friend who lives two counties over who will sometimes say with us for a weekend. When she leaves, she'll always send me a message letting us know she got home OK. I'm glad she's okay, of course, but I always think to myself that I'm pretty sure her drive to work every day is longer and more dangerous than the drive between her house and Norman, and she never texts me to tell me she made that trip without incident. :P
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: thenetwork on March 29, 2021, 09:31:54 AM
Re: Lodging options on US-160 through Western Colorado...

Pagosa Springs is a destination town.  However, the bulk of the lodging facilities are either mom & pops or lower-end national brands.  Nearly all of the properties in town are tired, decades-old buildings that are well worn (Quality Inn in Downtown was a real dump).   

Meanwhile, an hour west is Durango, which has it's share of mom & pops and lower-end brands (most along US-550 north of downtown), but in the last few years, there have been several newer hotels built along the US-160 frontage roads.  Durango is your best bet for decent accomodations.

Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: oscar on May 28, 2021, 08:06:10 PM
Scott, I gather from your comments above that June is usually better than May for avoiding the most dangerous storms in your state and southwest Missouri. I might be down there in late June/early July, to finish off the few miles of US 160 I haven't clinched, among other things (including some US routes in Texas). Comments on storm risks?

I try to avoid rather than chase potentially tornadic/hail-producing storms, though sometimes they find me anyway. I went through a hailstorm on the Minnesota/Wisconsin border earlier this month. Scary to watch the hail splat on my windshield (I don't have a lot of experience with hail), but no damage before I was able to duck under a gas station canopy to wait for things to calm down.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: Scott5114 on May 29, 2021, 07:31:11 PM
Quote from: oscar on May 28, 2021, 08:06:10 PM
Scott, I gather from your comments above that June is usually better than May for avoiding the most dangerous storms in your state and southwest Missouri. I might be down there in late June/early July, to finish off the few miles of US 160 I haven't clinched, among other things (including some US routes in Texas). Comments on storm risks?

I try to avoid rather than chase potentially tornadic/hail-producing storms, though sometimes they find me anyway. I went through a hailstorm on the Minnesota/Wisconsin border earlier this month. Scary to watch the hail splat on my windshield (I don't have a lot of experience with hail), but no damage before I was able to duck under a gas station canopy to wait for things to calm down.

Mid-to-late June is generally when the more active spring pattern starts to give way to the far less eventful (and less dangerous) summer pattern, so you should have no problems. Of course, weather is unpredictable, and June tornadoes have happened in the past. June storm systems, whenever they happen, tend to take the form of overnight squall lines where the primary risks are straight-line winds and hail. If you can find a hotel with covered parking (or failing that, find a way to park on the east side of the building) your bases should be reasonably covered.

Summer weather patterns are characterized by a long-term, stable high pressure system parking itself over the central Plains and deflecting any moisture or instability approaching from the north. This usually means little to no storm activity, or even rain, from late June through July and August and into September (usually the drought doesn't break until whichever week the State Fair is being held). You can also expect typical highs from the low 90s through the mid-100s, and since the jet stream is usually to the north of the high pressure system, lots of humidity wafting up from the Gulf.

For what it's worth, this year so far has been somewhat unusual in that rather than having large, tornadic supercells, we have instead been getting repeated bouts of scattered storms where the primary threats are hail and flash flooding.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: kphoger on June 02, 2021, 01:21:38 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on May 29, 2021, 07:31:11 PM
June storm systems, whenever they happen, tend to take the form of overnight squall lines where the primary risks are straight-line winds and hail. If you can find a hotel with covered parking (or failing that, find a way to park on the east side of the building) your bases should be reasonably covered.

Does wind really affect hail's trajectory that much?  I figure it falls pretty much straight down, no matter what the wind is doing.  Maybe I'm wrong about that.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: Scott5114 on June 02, 2021, 04:27:24 PM
Oh, it can absolutely be affected, when winds are particularly strong and hail is particularly large (both of which, of course, mean that hail is much more hazardous and damaging). The siding on the west side of my business partners' house currently looks like Swiss cheese from hailstones striking it on a trajectory more or less parallel to the ground. When the same storm passed through westside Norman, it smashed a bunch of west-facing windows and channel-letter signs. In both cases, the east sides of the same buildings were virtually unaffected.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: kphoger on June 02, 2021, 04:33:38 PM
OK, then.  I guess I'll keep nosing up to the house whenever hail storms come through town, hoping the house will offer some protection.  I had stopped doing so a couple of years ago, figuring it was silly.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: US 89 on June 02, 2021, 07:12:34 PM
As a meteorology student myself, I think it’s silly to plan trips in advance to avoid the plains in late spring. It doesn’t storm every day, and even when it does, the odds of a tornado actually hitting you are astronomically small. I’d be more worried about hail, but even then the odds of getting directly hit by a storm with hail large enough to damage your car are not that high. Especially if you’re just passing through.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: MikieTimT on June 02, 2021, 07:25:02 PM
Quote from: kphoger on June 02, 2021, 01:21:38 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on May 29, 2021, 07:31:11 PM
June storm systems, whenever they happen, tend to take the form of overnight squall lines where the primary risks are straight-line winds and hail. If you can find a hotel with covered parking (or failing that, find a way to park on the east side of the building) your bases should be reasonably covered.

Does wind really affect hail's trajectory that much?  I figure it falls pretty much straight down, no matter what the wind is doing.  Maybe I'm wrong about that.

It takes wind to make hail.  In the form of updrafts.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: kphoger on June 03, 2021, 09:18:08 AM
Quote from: US 89 on June 02, 2021, 07:12:34 PM
As a meteorology student myself, I think it's silly to plan trips in advance to avoid the plains in late spring. It doesn't storm every day, and even when it does, the odds of a tornado actually hitting you are astronomically small. I'd be more worried about hail, but even then the odds of getting directly hit by a storm with hail large enough to damage your car are not that high. Especially if you're just passing through.

Agreed.  I mean, what about those of us with houses here?  We don't pick them up, load them on a truck, and move them out of state during the summer months just in case a damaging storm comes through.

Heck, I don't even have a garage.  Once or twice a year, I ratchet-strap blankets and boards on my windshield just in case the hail gets big enough, but the great majority of people don't even bother with stuff like that.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: keithvh on June 04, 2021, 09:53:54 PM
Quote from: US 89 on June 02, 2021, 07:12:34 PM
As a meteorology student myself, I think it's silly to plan trips in advance to avoid the plains in late spring. It doesn't storm every day, and even when it does, the odds of a tornado actually hitting you are astronomically small. I'd be more worried about hail, but even then the odds of getting directly hit by a storm with hail large enough to damage your car are not that high. Especially if you're just passing through.

Agree.  Simply keep "weather aware" and adjust if necessary.  Driving through thunderstorms, even run-of-the-mill ones, isn't that much fun.  So personally, my typical procedure is to:

(1) Check the SPC website every AM, to see if and where storms are possible/likely/nearly certain.  The SPC also, of course, gives a sense for the severity of the storms (run-of-the-mill to severe).

(2) Check the NWS radar over the course of the day, to get a sense for where the storms are (if there are any), and most importantly, what direction they are moving in that particular day.

An anecdote.  12 days ago, I had to drive from Dickinson, ND to Denver, CO.  This was a day where the SPC had an enhanced risk of severe weather along the WY/SD border southward to the Colorado Plains, and along points east of that.

I took US-85 south along the far eastern part of Wyoming that day.  I was right on the edge of where severe weather was expected.  However, the severe weather actualized a few dozen miles west of there.  I could see that happening when I got to Lusk, WY, so I stopped there for 30 minutes, then after watching radar cut west to I-25 to go south (a bit out of the way) instead of taking US-85 south all the way to Cheyenne.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: hbelkins on November 30, 2021, 06:52:45 PM
Since there's a possibility that I will be tagging along with my brother when he goes on a six-night hiking/camping trip to the Grand Canyon at the end of February, and I'll be looking for something to do those days, I'm looking at the possibility of coming back east on US 160 and then beating a path back to Arizona in time to pick him up.

It looks like there would be three nine-hour days involved on the trip east -- Grand Canyon Village to Trinidad, Co.; Trinidad to Independence, Kan.; and Independence to Poplar Bluff. At least the days will be getting longer then so I will have more daylight than I would if I tried to do such a trip now.

My biggest concern would be winter weather across the mountains in Colorado. I'd hate to get to Durango and find out I wouldn't be able to get across to the I-25 corridor, and could have used that day for other travel purposes.

I'd also be looking at some other option for the return west, since we'll be going to Arizona by way of I-44 and I-40. I don't see any way I could finish US 60 in its entirety (I need from near the MO-OK line to the western terminus to clinch it) but I wouldn't want to have to take a route I'd already been on (although if I did try to clinch US 60, I know there's no better option than US 60 back west across Missouri.

Thoughts on a west-to-east trip on US 160 in late February?
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: Scott5114 on November 30, 2021, 07:40:37 PM
Unfortunately, February is the month with the most likely chance for winter precip in the southern plains. You should be fine since it's not like snow is particularly common south of about Wichita, but if it's going to snow that year February is probably when it's going to happen (and March snowfalls aren't unheard of, either).

For the return trip, why not US-62? While you'd see Oklahoma City again, you'd be able to get far enough south that the chance of winter weather is greatly reduced.  You could then take US-287 to meet back up with I-40 in Amarillo, or, since 62 is a diagonal, cut west to follow whatever route in NM and AZ appeals to you the most.

US-412 is also an option on the way back, but it's far enough north that it gets more regular winter precip than 62 does, and it's not exactly the most interesting-looking territory west of about US-183.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: Mapmikey on November 30, 2021, 08:07:19 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on November 30, 2021, 06:52:45 PM
Since there's a possibility that I will be tagging along with my brother when he goes on a six-night hiking/camping trip to the Grand Canyon at the end of February, and I'll be looking for something to do those days, I'm looking at the possibility of coming back east on US 160 and then beating a path back to Arizona in time to pick him up.

It looks like there would be three nine-hour days involved on the trip east -- Grand Canyon Village to Trinidad, Co.; Trinidad to Independence, Kan.; and Independence to Poplar Bluff. At least the days will be getting longer then so I will have more daylight than I would if I tried to do such a trip now.

My biggest concern would be winter weather across the mountains in Colorado. I'd hate to get to Durango and find out I wouldn't be able to get across to the I-25 corridor, and could have used that day for other travel purposes.

I'd also be looking at some other option for the return west, since we'll be going to Arizona by way of I-44 and I-40. I don't see any way I could finish US 60 in its entirety (I need from near the MO-OK line to the western terminus to clinch it) but I wouldn't want to have to take a route I'd already been on (although if I did try to clinch US 60, I know there's no better option than US 60 back west across Missouri.

Thoughts on a west-to-east trip on US 160 in late February?

A suggestion re: US 60 and US 160 - Why not try to grab the easternmost portions of those routes on your initial trip out and your trip back home?

For instance use US 60 to I-44 or even Amarillo.  For US 160, maybe from I-44.  Then you might be able to do a loop on your own of US 160 east and US 60 back west and with a day or more saved by not having to go nearly all the way back to Kentucky, you might be able to get US 60 all the way to the west terminus.

A practical reason to do this would be in case your brother has to exit the canyon early and you wouldn't get as far away...
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: thenetwork on November 30, 2021, 08:48:24 PM
CDOT does a pretty good job keeping the snow and ice off the east-west mountain roads as fast as possible after a storm, as that is what connects the front range with the western part of the state.

That being said, CDOT also likes to place driving restrictions on said roads while they are plowing and sanding.  Usually it requires ALL vehicles to have tires that are snow/mud rated, 4WD, or chains/tire socks on their tires With substantial tread depth within the restricted areas.

If you ignore the restrictions and find yourself stuck on the roadway impeding traffic, or are involved in an accident due to not having the proper tire requirements, the fines can be hefty.

Cotrip.org has more info on those restrictions/ requirements on its website.

Not trying to put the scare on you, but see if your rental car company has snow tires and/or chains as options for the choice of vehicle.  Or purchase chains/tire socks before you go and if you don't use them, you might be able to return them when you get back and get your $$ back.

If you are looking for different return routes, you could try US‐84 West to its Western terminus in Pagosa Springs, and do a short double back on US-160 to either CO‐151 or US-550 down towards US-64 IN New Mexico.  There is boku weird signage everywhere in Farmington and along 64 that will keep you busy.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: thenetwork on November 30, 2021, 08:49:09 PM
CDOT does a pretty good job getting the snow and ice off the east-west mountain roads as fast as possible after a storm, as that is what connects the front range with the western part of the state.

That being said, CDOT also likes to place driving restrictions on said roads while they are plowing and sanding.  Usually it requires ALL vehicles to have tires that are snow/mud rated, 4WD, or chains/tire socks on their tires With substantial tread depth within the restricted areas.

If you ignore the restrictions and find yourself stuck on the roadway impeding traffic, or are involved in an accident due to not having the proper tire requirements, the fines can be hefty.

Cotrip.org has more info on those restrictions/ requirements on its website.

Not trying to put the scare on you, but see if your rental car company has snow tires and/or chains as options for the choice of vehicle.  Or purchase chains/tire socks before you go and if you don't use them, you might be able to return them when you get back and get your $$ back.

If you are looking for different return routes, you could try US‐84 West to its Western terminus in Pagosa Springs, take a short double back on US-160, and either take CO‐151 or US-550 down towards US-64 IN New Mexico. 

There is boku weird signage everywhere in Farmington and along 64 that will keep you busy.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: hbelkins on December 01, 2021, 10:44:38 AM
Not sure if I'd be driving my brother's truck (4x4 Nissan) or something I'd rent in Flagstaff. I have looked into SUV rental prices and as of now, they're like $400 or more for that week.

Quote from: Mapmikey on November 30, 2021, 08:07:19 PM
A suggestion re: US 60 and US 160 - Why not try to grab the easternmost portions of those routes on your initial trip out and your trip back home?

One reason is that he's driving and will be looking to make the best time possible westward. And after he's done at Grand Canyon, we plan to do the White Rim Road in Canyonlands.

One advantage of making the trip from west to east is that I already have US 160 between US 63 and US 67, so I wouldn't have to drive that route again, although I must admit part of the charm is in driving the whole route end-to-end in one sitting.

But the whole idea of me going along may be on hold now. Our dog was diagnosed with lymphoma yesterday and her health may determine whether or not I leave home for an extended period with no way to get back quickly if something happens.
Title: Re: US 160, end-to-end?
Post by: hbelkins on November 05, 2022, 01:40:31 PM
Bumping because the opportunity may arise again, as discussed here: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=32411.0;topicseen

Would like to reopen for discussion/suggestions.