Trip Recommendations/Advice? Interesting places to check out?

[camalaio]

Hey folks,

Will be travelling from Vernon BC (Canada) through to Montrose CO (USA) next week with our LR AWD Model 3. Drive will be split over two days. I have a few things on my mind.

1. We're not set on any particular route and are unfamiliar. Any to avoid or recommend? Especially in regards to weather etc.
2. Any notable detours or places to check out along the way? Parks and such are great.
3. Charging networks are different of course. What are the main ones I should set up ahead of time?
4. How much "mountain highway" winter driving is to be expected along this route, and are there related online resources I can check for road conditions, webcams, etc.?

There's quite a few states we'll be hitting portions of (Washington, Idaho, Utah, maybe even a smidge of Oregon and Montana).

We'll have a CHAdeMO adapter with us as well. It's actually difficult to cross the Canada/US border without it unless a large detour is taken. I'm not worried about charging once we get to Montrose, especially since a CHAdeMO station is only 30 mins away or so.

Are we crazy to do this trip in Winter?

Any responses are appreciated, thanks!

Note: Thread is intentionally duplicated in Northwest forum.

 

[sdoorex]

I think your trickiest leg will be Kelowna to Spokane as it is the longest section between superchargers, though having the CHAdeMO adapter and several destination chargers along the route will help. The other tricky section is between Provo and Green River, Utah as it is a US highway and not an interstate like most of the rest of the route assuming you follow a CA-33 -> US-395 -> I-90 -> I-15 -> US-6 -> I-70 -> US-50 route.

Certainly there could be some weather difficulty through Montana but the superchargers are close enough together that you should be able to give yourself plenty of extra charge to safely make the hops. I don't think that risk makes it worth the added distance and time to backtrack from Spokane to I-84 but someone else with more local knowledge of I-90 through there would probably be able to help you decide.

Once you are in Montrose there are several level 2 chargers around town which can easily get you back to the Grand Junction supercharger.

 

[camalaio]

I think your trickiest leg will be Kelowna to Spokane as it is the longest section between superchargers, though having the CHAdeMO adapter and several destination chargers along the route will help. The other tricky section is between Provo and Green River, Utah as it is a US highway and not an interstate like most of the rest of the route assuming you follow a CA-33 -> US-395 -> I-90 -> I-15 -> US-6 -> I-70 -> US-50 route.

Certainly there could be some weather difficulty through Montana but the superchargers are close enough together that you should be able to give yourself plenty of extra charge to safely make the hops. I don't think that risk makes it worth the added distance and time to backtrack from Spokane to I-84 but someone else with more local knowledge of I-90 through there would probably be able to help you decide.

Once you are in Montrose there are several level 2 chargers around town which can easily get you back to the Grand Junction supercharger.

This is where my ignorance comes in. What is the significance of "it is a US highway and not an interstate"? Interstates are both wonderful and boring, or at least that's my experience with the I-5

There's a bunch of newer CHAdeMO stations between Kelowna/Spokane (not yet on A Better Route Planner, unfortunately) so I think I'll be OK with some extra planning. Good to know about Provo/Green River though.

I actually won't be able to use L2 chargers (lost the adapter recently, unless I find one at a Service Centre along the way it won't ship here in time for the trip). But there's a CHAdeMO station only 30 minutes North of Montrose.

 

[sdoorex]

This is where my ignorance comes in. What is the significance of "it is a US highway and not an interstate"? Interstates are both wonderful and boring, or at least that's my experience with the I-5

The big significance is road quality and snow management. US highways can be either separated directions with multiple lanes each way, like US-50 in several areas between Grand Junction and Montrose, or they can be non-separated with periodic passing lanes like US-6. Interstates are nearly all separated with multiple lanes and have grade separated crossings and are usually tended to first after storms with US highways next and state highways after those. Additionally, US-6 is much curvier and with slower speeds than an interstate, especially I-15 which now has 80 MPH sections, which while being more enjoyable to drive in good weather is less fun in inclement conditions.

For that section, make sure to check the Utah road information site while charging up in Salt Lake City.

I actually won't be able to use L2 chargers (lost the adapter recently, unless I find one at a Service Centre along the way it won't ship here in time for the trip). But there's a CHAdeMO station only 30 minutes North of Montrose.

It would definitely be helpful to have that unless you have a place to charge using your mobile adapter. That CHAdeMO in Delta has had some reported reliability issues so it would be unfortunate to need that charger and have it offline. Do you have the NEMA 14-50 adapter for your mobile charger connector or just the NEMA 5-15?

If you find yourself going south to Ouray from Montrose for the hot springs, there is a Tesla destination charger in town at KJ Wood.

 

[camalaio]

The big significance is road quality and snow management. US highways can be either separated directions with multiple lanes each way, like US-50 in several areas between Grand Junction and Montrose, or they can be non-separated with periodic passing lanes like US-6. Interstates are nearly all separated with multiple lanes and have grade separated crossings and are usually tended to first after storms with US highways next and state highways after those. Additionally, US-6 is much curvier and with slower speeds than an interstate, especially I-15 which now has 80 MPH sections, which while being more enjoyable to drive in good weather is less fun in inclement conditions.

For that section, make sure to check the Utah road information site while charging up in Salt Lake City.

Knowing the storm priority certainly helps, thanks. I'd actually prefer roads below 80mph or simply be going slower than that anyways. I don't really like going above 120km/h, 80mpg is nearly 130km/h. And curvy roads tend to have better scenery

Thanks for the Utah road info link, that will be useful!

It would definitely be helpful to have that unless you have a place to charge using your mobile adapter. That CHAdeMO in Delta has had some reported reliability issues so it would be unfortunate to need that charger and have it offline. Do you have the NEMA 14-50 adapter for your mobile charger connector or just the NEMA 5-15?

If you find yourself going south to Ouray from Montrose for the hot springs, there is a Tesla destination charger in town at KJ Wood.

I have the 14-50 adapter as well which we will be bringing. Hoping the hotel has regular outlets we can just plug into as well if we ask (they generally seem to), in which case we really wouldn't need to make any use of L2. If not, the amount of driving we'll be doing for the 2 weeks we're there is very minimal.

That said I suppose the reliability of that CHAdeMO station is a bit concerning. I have learned that the problem with CHAdeMO/CCS stations are generally the users though. In fact, looking at that one with 12 comments... half are from one person over the course of 6 months who couldn't get it to work, mixed in with successful charges from 4 different people, 1 is from someone who apparently just doesn't like EV Connect, and the last is yet another person who is just upset that it's EV Connect. Looks like it's probably fine, at least right now.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

The drive around Colorado National Monument (west of Grand Junction) is pretty scenic. It's right off I-70 and you can start the drive in Fruita and end in Grand Junction. If you want to charge up at the Superchargers in Grand Junction first, you could start there and do the drive in the other direction before heading down to Montrose.

Arches National Park in Utah is nice too but would require a bit more time since it's not right off the interstate.

 

[sdoorex]

The drive around Colorado National Monument (west of Grand Junction) is pretty scenic. It's right off I-70 and you can start the drive in Fruita and end in Grand Junction. If you want to charge up at the Superchargers in Grand Junction first, you could start there and do the drive in the other direction before heading down to Montrose.

I second the recommendation of Colorado National Monument. Definitely worth the extra hour and 23 miles and has some great spots for a picnic lunch if the weather is good.

@camalaio, I forgot to mention earlier, the Salt Lake City Supercharger is right at a Tesla showroom so you might be able to order a J1772 adapter ahead of time and have it ready to pick up there if the timing is right.

 

[dgpcolorado]

The J1772 adapter really is important on a trip like that. Can you borrow one for the trip? The suggestion above to try to get one from the Salt Lake City showroom is a good one — you could call and see if they have any in stock. I just don't do road trips without my J1772 adapter and my UMC (which can be used at most RV Parks and state park campgrounds). Nevertheless, the Supercharger coverage is pretty good in Idaho, Utah and Colorado, especially for a 3LR (I manage ok with an S-60 that has only 179 rated miles, 288 km, of range).

The segment of the trip via US 6 from Provo over Soldier Summit to Price Supercharger Station to Green River Supercharger Station isn't difficult. Most of the time it is snow-free or plowed quickly. Soldier Summit is so low, 7,477 ft (2,279 m), that it barely qualifies as a pass in this part of the country. Salt Lake City Supercharger to Price Supercharger would be easy in a 3LR. If a major snowstorm is forecast just stay put for a day until it blows over.

Lots of good L2 charging in Montrose if you can get that adapter. Also Ridgway 25 miles south (where the scenery is, around here). I'll suggest Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, a few miles east of Montrose CO. The main road is usually closed past the visitor's center by snow this time of the year but you can get a glimpse of the canyon from what is open (picture below). I'll second the suggestion above to make a drive through Colorado National Monument from Fruita to Grand Junction or vice versa; it is a good introduction to red rocks canyon country.

To come all this way and miss out on a side trip to Moab and Arches and Canyonlands National Parks would be a disappointment IMHO. Depends on your time available, of course. If you could get a good charge in Montrose you could drive the back way to Moab that we locals use, via Ridgway, Norwood, Naturita, La Sal UT, to US 191, assuming good weather (usually, but not always, the case this time of the year). The distance is 166 miles and it is way more scenic and peaceful than going via Grand Junction and I-70. For road information in Colorado, check out cotrip.org.

my 2¢.


Some pictures from this area of western Colorado and southeastern Utah:

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, from an overlook near the visitor's center that is open in winter:

Some winter pictures of Colorado National Monument:

^ Entrance road from Fruita.

^ Independence Monument.

Some fresh pictures from Arches National Park taken just last week:

^ Delicate Arch.

^ Double Arch. (For a size reference see the people below the arch near the bottom of the frame.)

Arches National Park is pretty peaceful this time of the year; high season is April and October.