Thrillseeking Drives

[Grzrd]

About 5 years ago, I took my wife and two sons down Shafer Trail Road in Canyonlands N.P.  I fell prey to the "Dad, don't be a wuss!" challenge from the younger ones.  Rented vehicle.  Sketchy brakes.  No personal digital photos at this moment, but here's a link to other photos:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g143016-d144932-Shafer_Trail-Canyonlands_National_Park_Utah.html

That was the most adrenalin-rush/ terrifying drive I have had where I have been behind the wheel.

What other "thrill-seeking" routes are recommended for the faint, and not-so-faint, of heart?

[agentsteel53]

US-550.

From Silverton to Ouray.

In December.

At night.

In a blizzard.

[J N Winkler]

My vote perennially goes to NM 159 at dusk in winter with snowmelt and ice on the road.

[corco]

When it's snowing, I honestly prefer those windy back narrow roads. I'm very confident in my own ability to not drive into the ditch- it's the other cars doing something stupid to force me to brake suddenly that I'm worried about. I've driven Idaho 55 through the canyon at night when not plowed while snowing on many many occasions- you just go slow and it's not a big deal. I literally learned to drive on bad roads- most of my driver's ed was during the winter in the Idaho mountains. I've driven tens of thousands of miles (if not one hundred thousand) on bad roads and have never gone off the road due to something within my control. The only time I went off, some asshat pulled out of his driveway right in front of me, leaving me no choice but to slam my brakes. Going off the road was probably the best scenario there- had the pavement been dry I would have rear-ended his sorry ass. My fear in those situations, then, is other cars, not the road.

For me, the worst drives are blizzards on the interstate- I-80 from Laramie to Cheyenne can be downright scary in a blizzard- trucks don't have to go quite as slow on bad roads due to their weight (although the wind usually offsets that and they end up sideways in the ditch anyway), so you get a ton of trucks driving by at ridiculously fast speeds and then morons from out of state (*cough*Texas*cough*California*cough*Colorado(usually TX/CA implants, but there's enough of those now that you have to be scared of Colorado plates)*cough*) who think it's acceptable to go 80 when there's three inches of snow on the road, who you also see in the ditch three miles later- but that makes it uncomfortable for me. If they start to go out of control right in front of me, then I'll have to make unplanned evasive maneuvers (likely involving braking instead of giving the car gas/letting off the gas, which is the only way to maintain traction), and at ~50 MPH in the snow there's a good risk of ending up in the ditch. I'll take the narrow winding mountain road in a blizzard over the interstate in a blizzard 8 days a week. Even if the backroad isn't quite as well plowed as the interstate- it's totally worth the tradeoff for me.

When I'm in bad roads, my priorities are
1) Keep the car on the road
2) Worry about a bunch of crap

On the interstate, I have to do a lot more 2) than on the backroads, where I can devote 99% of my attention to keeping the car on the road.  

[myosh_tino]

US-550.

From Silverton to Ouray.

In December.

At night.

In a blizzard.

I think that stretch of highway was featured on "Dangerous Drives" on the Speed Channel.  I ran across it by chance and I ended up watching the whole show.  Very scenic highway however seeing how close the drop-off is to the side of the road and the blind curves, I can see how this would be thrillseeking in good weather.  In bad weather (like a blizzard), this drive isn't thrillseeking, it's borderline suicidal.

[agentsteel53]

the road is much more dangerous in good weather.  that's when all the RVs come out.

I saw no cars between Silverton and Ouray.  none.

[myosh_tino]

the road is much more dangerous in good weather.  that's when all the RVs come out.

I saw no cars between Silverton and Ouray.  none.

You make a good point.  In good weather, the tourists are probably gawking at the stunning scenery instead of paying attention to the road... not good!  The TV show I saw featured a motorcycle group, two gasoline tanker trucks driven by a father-and-son tandem, an ambulance driver responding to an emergency and a CDOT maintenance crew doing work on the highway.

[Brandon]

US-550.

From Silverton to Ouray.

In December.

At night.

In a blizzard.

Gotta love the Million Dollar Highway. 

[kj3400]

I remember taking CO 83 with a friend from Co. Springs to Parker just outside Denver because I-25 was closed. It was 2 in the morning and there was a blizzard. Driving with a truck w/ trailer in front of you and snow flying towards you, in danger because that truck might stop at any time and you might not be able to see it, is not something I'm likely to forget soon. We followed that truck for at least 10-15 miles.

[hbelkins]

My brother just drove the Mount Washington Auto Road in New Hampshire. He said it was the scariest road he had ever been on, even moreso than the Moki Dugway.

[Ian]

My brother just drove the Mount Washington Auto Road in New Hampshire. He said it was the scariest road he had ever been on, even moreso than the Moki Dugway.

It's a frightening ride, but at the same time, it's pretty neat.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

My brother just drove the Mount Washington Auto Road in New Hampshire. He said it was the scariest road he had ever been on, even moreso than the Moki Dugway.

When I did my roadtrip through New England 10 years ago, I stopped at Mt. Washington, looked at it from the base and decided I would pay for someone else to drive me to the top.

[mightyace]

If I ever go to Mount Washington, I'm taking the train!

http://www.thecog.com/

Pikes Peak, CO is the other mountain in the US with both a road and a cog railway up it.  (http://www.cograilway.com/)  I hear the road up that is a bit tricky as well.

[thenetwork]

If you ever are in the neighborhood of I-70 and Idaho Springs west of Denver, there is a road connecting Idaho Springs with Central City (where the casinos are) called "Oh My God Road".  That road took a little white knuckling to conquer.   

Another test of nerves is off of US 50 between Grand Junction and Delta, CO called "Lands End Road" which links the Grand Valley to the Grand Mesa.   

[J N Winkler]

I don't understand why the Million Dollar Highway portion of US 550 gets all the press.  I have just spent fifteen minutes looking at various bits of it in Google Street View and all I see are lengths of two-lane highway, generally paved to a good standard, with centerline, 12' lanes, shoulder stripes, 2' full paved shoulders giving way to reasonably level gravel, and the occasional climbing lane.  I did see a few 30 MPH speed limit signs but that is pretty unexceptional for mountain pass roads in Colorado.

[Chris]

Swiss Mountain Passes.

For example: Splügen Pass:

[thenetwork]

I don't understand why the Million Dollar Highway portion of US 550 gets all the press.  I have just spent fifteen minutes looking at various bits of it in Google Street View and all I see are lengths of two-lane highway, generally paved to a good standard, with centerline, 12' lanes, shoulder stripes, 2' full paved shoulders giving way to reasonably level gravel, and the occasional climbing lane.  I did see a few 30 MPH speed limit signs but that is pretty unexceptional for mountain pass roads in Colorado.

I just drove it this past weekend, and while many parts of it are truly enjoyable and easy to negotiate (in good weather), there are some areas (especially between Ouray & Silverton) where the road is narrow with nary a shoulder on either side -- due to a rock wall on the left and a 200+ foot drop on the right with no guardrails and nowhere to build up a shoulder, literally. 

[Grzrd]

If I ever go to Mount Washington, I'm taking the train!

http://www.thecog.com/

Pikes Peak, CO is the other mountain in the US with both a road and a cog railway up it.  (http://www.cograilway.com/)  I hear the road up that is a bit tricky as well.

Don't overlook the venerable Lookout Mountain Incline! Short, but steep (72.7% grade at top): http://www.ridetheincline.com/

Road to top of Mount Evans in CO (IIRC CO's highest peak) is also daunting for those of us who hail from east of the Mississippi.  On same trip I drove Shafer Trail Rd., I had the following notion to start off family trip with the WOW moment: Fly from ATL, then drive rental directly from Denver to top of Mount Evans.  From 1500 ft. to 14,000+ ft in a matter of hours.  Not a good idea.  Started getting lightheaded and sick-in-stomach at top.  Had to drive down IMMEDIATELY to get thicker air.  I later tried to use that experience as an excuse to not do Shafer Trail Road; however, my younger son would have none of it: "Dad, this is a downhill drive."

BTW, it is possible (and more sensible) to access Shafer Trail Road from closer to Moab for a relatively level drive through some of the mid-canyon area of Canyonlands and avoid the canyon-wall climb part of the road. 

[mightyace]

Don't overlook the venerable Lookout Mountain Incline! Short, but steep (72.7% grade at top): http://www.ridetheincline.com/

Two comments:
1) The Lookout Mountain Incline is a different type of "railroad" called a funicular railroad.  They usually have two cars on a cable powered by a stationary engine.  The cars counterweight each other.  One goes up while the other goes down and they meet in the middle.  They can run much steeper grades than traditional or cog railroads.  There are many examples of this type including 2 in Pittsburgh; 1 at Horseshoe Curve near Altoona; Los Angeles; Shorewood, WI; etc.

2) But mainly, the cog railway reminded me that the highway alternatives at Pike Peak, like Mount Washington, is hazardous.  By comparison, the roads up Lookout Mountain are rather tame.

[J N Winkler]

I just drove it this past weekend, and while many parts of it are truly enjoyable and easy to negotiate (in good weather), there are some areas (especially between Ouray & Silverton) where the road is narrow with nary a shoulder on either side -- due to a rock wall on the left and a 200+ foot drop on the right with no guardrails and nowhere to build up a shoulder, literally.

I looked only at the bits between Ouray and Silverton, because those are supposed to be the worst parts of the Million Dollar Highway, and every segment I looked at--with the sole exception of an uphill length with climbing lane--had a shoulder on both sides.  Admittedly it was not wide (two feet at most, I would say), but it was there.

[agentsteel53]

I looked only at the bits between Ouray and Silverton, because those are supposed to be the worst parts of the Million Dollar Highway, and every segment I looked at--with the sole exception of an uphill length with climbing lane--had a shoulder on both sides.  Admittedly it was not wide (two feet at most, I would say), but it was there.

there is, however, no guardrail in a lot of places ... and a cliff drop past those two feet.

[agentsteel53]

Don't overlook the venerable Lookout Mountain Incline! Short, but steep (72.7% grade at top): http://www.ridetheincline.com/

is that just the railroad, or is the automobile road just as steep??  72.7% sounds like it's just physically impossible to drive up!  

I think the most I've ever driven is about 43% on a road in Iceland that, if not for its utter obscurity, would count as a thrillseeking drive.  I had to keep the car in 4WD, low gearing the whole way up, doing about 3mph at 3400 RPM.

[mightyace]

Don't overlook the venerable Lookout Mountain Incline! Short, but steep (72.7% grade at top): http://www.ridetheincline.com/

is that just the railroad, or is the automobile road just as steep??  72.7% sounds like it's just physically impossible to drive up!  

Just the railroad.  The automobile road grades are rather moderate.

[Grzrd]

I think the most I've ever driven is about 43% on a road in Iceland that, if not for its utter obscurity, would count as a thrillseeking drive.  I had to keep the car in 4WD, low gearing the whole way up, doing about 3mph at 3400 RPM.

I thoroughly welcome obscurity! 

[texaskdog]

If you ever are in the neighborhood of I-70 and Idaho Springs west of Denver, there is a road connecting Idaho Springs with Central City (where the casinos are) called "Oh My God Road".  That road took a little white knuckling to conquer.   

Another test of nerves is off of US 50 between Grand Junction and Delta, CO called "Lands End Road" which links the Grand Valley to the Grand Mesa.   

I dont remember this road being a challenge at all.

Mount Evans has been the worst, followed by Moki Dugway.  I'd have to think beyond that.  Mount Washburn in Yellowstone was another good one.