2015 Denver Meet?

[corco]

At the NYC meet this last weekend, a few folks expressed that they would like an excuse to come west, and that a roadmeet would be as good a reason as any.

I would be game to host a meet in Denver/Northern Colorado (in some area between Denver and Cheyenne, obviously not that whole area though) at some point next year. I lived in Laramie for several years and know the area well enough to put something hopefully worthwhile together and would have opportunity to get down there to scout well in advance of the meet.

We'd probably want it to happen after the snow melts, so maybe somewhere between April and June 2015.

I guess my question, then, is- is there actually interest in this? It's a bit outside of normal roadmeet territory, but not so far west that it's undriveable- figure a day from western Missouri, two days from Ohio. I had looked at Salt Lake and Santa Fe/Albuquerque as other possible destinations, but Salt Lake is probably a bit much of a drive for folks (though potentially a more interesting meet), and while I would love to attend a meet in New Mexico, I'm not sure I'm the best equipped to host one.

I've put a poll up- if it seems like there is general interest in this, I'll then start to throw out some itinerary possibilities and dates and we can get this thing firmed up.

Obviously we're a really long way out from this coming to fruition, so at this point I'm just planting the seed- I don't possibly expect anybody to commit to anything. Because of that, I didn't include a maybe option- if you're interested and it's anything more than a total pipe dream, vote yes. If you're not interested or you'd love to go but there's just no possible way it's going to happen, vote no or abstain.

[Brandon]

This sounds like a very interesting and good idea.  I vote yes, and it's about 14-15 hours from here (NE Illinois).

[Arkansastravelguy]

I would be interested as well


iPhone

[getemngo]

There's been two Denver meets in the distant past. (I don't think I've met a single one of those people, and Dale Sanderson and Steve Riner are the only names that even sound familiar to me.) It'd be awesome for roadgeeks to re-conquer the west. 

So yeah, I'm interested!

[oscar]

I'd be interested if it fits into my travel schedule.  June is kinda tricky for me, with tentative plans to visit Alberta in early summer -- the right weekend in June, I could combine the trips, but too late in June, I'd have a schedule conflict.

I'd keep Salt Lake City in play as an alternative.  it has lots of new/recently-rebuilt freeways (many re-done for the 2002 Winter Olympics), a good pace of new road construction, and the Emigration Canyon Road and "This Is The Place" monument at the end of one of a historic 19th-century "road trip" by the first Mormon settlers.  Also, there are many prime roadgeek sights on I-70 between Denver and Salt Lake for easterners to experience (Eisenhower Tunnels, Loveland Pass, Vail Pass, the ultra-high-altitude Mt. Evans road after Memorial Day, Glenwood Canyon, and the awesomely scenic San Rafael Swell area between Green River and Salina -- the first three or four could be worked into a Denver-based meet if you were to make it a two-day meet). 

[hbelkins]

I'm not voting. I honestly would love to go because of the potential for route clinches and new county visits, but like everything else lately, it would be totally dependent on finances. That's what kept me from attending the NYC meet and will preclude me from going to the upcoming Wisconsin meet.

If my situation changes, I'd be all over this.

[SSOWorld]

I cannot vote either because of my change in future funding of road meets after NYC.  A road meet of long distance is now a financial burden for me as I need to focus on more important matters.  I'd attend otherwise.

[agentsteel53]

probably. 

though I'd recommend moving it to later in the season if anyone is thinking of doing high-elevation stuff.  May or so?

[Ian]

I'll be able to come out anytime after May 10th, because before that is my finals week. I'd really love the chance to come out there and see a part of the country I've never been to!

[Roadgeek Adam]

Depends where my parents move to, but it is an option. Has to be after May as well cause finals/graduation.

[Laura]

I am super interested, but Denver is so far, so it's really a pipedream at this point. However, 2014 has so far been a pipe shattering year for me, so who knows?

[A.J. Bertin]

I am super interested, but Denver is so far, so it's really a pipedream at this point. However, 2014 has so far been a pipe shattering year for me, so who knows?

I am interested but it's unlikely that I'd be able to attend. I won't rule it out completely though.

Someone suggested hosting a NW Arkansas meet in Spring 2015 which I would kinda like to go to. If the Arkansas meet happens next spring, it's unlikely that I'd be able to do attend both that and Denver, but we'll see what happens. On the other hand, if Arkansas does not happen, I would be more likely to attend Denver. I wonder what other meets are in the works for 2015.

[Milepost61]

Yes.

If you want Mount Evans on the itinerary it would need to be after Memorial Day.

[vdeane]

I'd love to, but I'm not sure how feasible it is.  It would be a three day drive each way.

[Alps]

Yes.

If you want Mount Evans on the itinerary it would need to be after Memorial Day.

That would be rad. That and Glenwood Canyon are on my list for next year, meet or otherwise.

[froggie]

As I'm about to become a full-time college student as well, I echo others in suggesting mid-May or later.

Also, if I were to come out for this, my preference would be Denver proper, as there is a lot more non-road stuff to see there (plus I have friends and an old classmate in Denver).

[jpi]

This sounds like a great idea, I remember you bringing it up while on our tour, Steph and I have been to the Denver area twice in the past 5 years, next year is an "up in the air" year for us and I would like to try to get out west next year but it would be in mid July and going to Albuquerque, NM so I guess you can say I am "maybe" for now.

[bugo]

That's not the only thing that would be "up in the air" if you get my drift.

[Pete from Boston]

Also, there are many prime roadgeek sights on I-70 between Denver and Salt Lake for easterners to experience (Eisenhower Tunnels, Loveland Pass, Vail Pass, the ultra-high-altitude Mt. Evans road after Memorial Day, Glenwood Canyon, and the awesomely scenic San Rafael Swell area between Green River and Salina -- the first three or four could be worked into a Denver-based meet if you were to make it a two-day meet).

I-70 between Salina and Denver was the most topographically interesting stretch I ever drove on an interstate.  For any Easterners without much experience out west, this stretch alone will teach you a tremendous amount about how vast and varied a country you live in.

[Laura]

I'd love to, but I'm not sure how feasible it is.  It would be a three day drive each way.

Yeah. If we went we would most likely fly out and make a vacation out of it. Or maybe the three day drive there and back is part of the vacation!


iPhone

[corco]

Okay, I'm seeing that there's interest here and I'll probably go ahead and move forward on it.

Some thoughts:

1) Would this be better served as a two day national meet? My thought was that anybody coming from the east will have to burn vacation days to get out here, and may have exploring they want to do on their own, so adding a second day to the meet might be unrealistic. That said, if folks want to see stuff in a more organized light, it could certainly arranged.

2) We'll definitely do it after May 15th or so- even if the meet doesn't go into super-high elevation areas like the top of Mt Evans, roads should be open for folks who would like to do that on their own time.

3) I'm thinking mountains and associated infrastructure are what make the area interesting moreso than random trusses around Greeley and remnant button copy in FoCo, so I may come up with a more mountain focused tour as opposed to hanging out in cow country. I don't see the meet being able to be in Denver proper because hotels are $$$, but it's really quite easy to drive from Golden or Longmont or even Fort Collins (though I doubt we'll be that far north) into Denver.

4) Mt Evans is a possibility for a meet, almost a definite if it's two days. I'd love to get Glenwood Canyon in there too, but we'd probably need to center the meet out of like Rifle or Leadville or Glenwood Springs to pull it off. I'll try to figure there's enough other stuff around there to justify a meet, and perhaps if there is the meet could be over there instead (or perhaps a two day meet, with day 2 over there). Unless there's really significant interest in that though, I'd say it's more something I encourage folks to hit up on their own time.

[bugo]

This is a meet that I'll be going to (if I go) for the scenery more than for the roads, so I'd prefer staying out of Denver proper and heading for the mountains.

[Scott5114]

I've never been to Denver (or any Colorado other than Baca County), and it's near to Oklahoma, so I'd certainly make an attempt at coming. My girlfriend has family in Colorado Springs, so I might be able to pitch this as a trip to visit family if this ends up happening.

I'd prefer Denver proper since it seems like there would be more road stuff there. If this was a multi-day meet, you could plan maybe one day in Denver and one day exploring the scenery. According to Glenwood Canyon is only two and a half hours west of Denver, which seems doable for a possible Day 2 focused on mountain scenery. Perhaps a route could be planned that meanders a bit on the to Glenwood Canyon, then comes back on I-70, hitting Glenwood Canyon, Eisenhower Tunnel, and the "TRUCKERS YOU ARE NOT DOWN YET" stretch?

[Duke87]

I am looking at spending 2 weeks in the UK in May of 2015, so at this time I do not plan on taking any other week-long trips that are within a couple months before or after that.

If this happens later in the summer, or if my plans to go to the UK change, then it would be possible for me to attend and I would certainly seek to make it happen. But otherwise I will not be able to go due to schedule conflict.


Also, since we're only discussing vague plans, I'm going to throw out there that if I am to attend a meet out west I would rather it be in a city I have not yet been to. Denver does not meet that criterion. Salt Lake City does, though. As would anywhere in the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, or Idaho, though I don't know whether there's enough stuff close enough together to do a meet in any of those states.

[vdeane]

If this were a national meet, I would probably place a bigger emphasis on making this work (possibly depending on who attends).  It would only be an extra day of vacation.  Perhaps a day in Denver and a day for Glenwood Canyon?