Crossing the Rockies

[Bill Frisbee]

I am still collecting opinions re crossing the Rockies via two different routes:

(1) A Canadian route on the Trans Canada (Highway 1) from Calgary, AB thru Golden, Kamloops, Hope to Vancouver

(2) A United States route on I-90 to Seattle then north on Highway 5.

It seems to me that most of the encouragement to take the Canadian route comes from folks who haul relatively small 5th wheels or TTs. People who haul big 5th wheels like our Montana seem to prefer I-90. Does this make sense or am I just getting an unrepresentative sample of responses?

Thanks,

Bill

[adelmoll]

Highway 1 from Alberta is beautiful but hwy 1 east of Alberta is BORING. I would go that route in my Montana unless you have never been on I94. That is beautiful too. Either one are no problem for the Monty. Driving or parking.

[JH Sechelt]

Bill,

Never been on I-90 through the Rockies, but been on Hwy 1, lots of times pulling trailers. The only real steep grades to watch for are on the Coquihalla ( Hwy 5 ) through the snow sheds ( if you use this Hwy ). That hill, one might not want to do in the heat of the day. There is lots of other hills but none are that bad. The Hwy east of Golden is a little narrow as it following along the steep rock sides of the mountain but that only takes 20 to 30 minutes and you are through that. The rest is a drive well worth taking. Gorgeous views. I guess the biggest difference is that I-90 is a divided freeway and Most of Hwy 1 North East of Kamloops is a regular 2 lane Highway. One lane each way.
Hope this helps.

J&D

[Bill Frisbee]

Many thanks for the helpful and encouraging comments. Others with whom I have spoken have also specifically mentioned Coquihalla as a place to "pay attention". In the east-to-west direction, some have suggested continuing on Highway 1 at Kamloops instead of taking Highway 5 down to Hope. Since we go to the Chilliwack/Abbotsford area about once a year, I think our next trip may be a flight to Calgary and a rental car drive over the mountains on the Trans Canada just to get a feel for things.

As for I-94, we have not been on that route yet but have taken I-90 (without the Monty) out to The Badlands and Black Hills. Gorgeous country that has to be seen to be believed. At some point, we intend to do the west-to-east trip and take the I-94 starting at Billings then exiting at some point to cut across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to I-75 and back to southern Ontario.

If nothing else, the plan to explore North America in our Montana certainly does make one far more aware of geography tha ever before!

Thnaks again,

Bill

[scattershot]

As mentioned above, Trans Canada 1 is a beautiful drive, but it's fairly narrow and undivided. We cross the Rockies all the time (live in Denver) with no problem, just take your time and watch your speed on the downgrades. If you do take the Canadian route, be aware that the campground in Kamloops is near the highway and by a railroad siding. Jake brakes and humping freight cars all night.

[Montana Sky]

I-94 from Billings, MT into North Dakota is a very nice drive as well. I am such a fan of Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota that I tend to take I-90 for my east and west trips. As far as having a large trailer, the Continential Divide at (6700) feet between Bozeman and Butte, Montana did not even phase my truck. Lookout Pass on the Montana/Idaho border did not cause any concern either. Best of luck on your "route" decision, I do not think there is a bad way to go.

[HamRad]

Hi Bill,
I'll let you know in about 2 weeks. We're headed that way now. We're working our way north and plan to take Hwy 1. After driving in many mountainous areas I hope the Canadian Rockies are no more a challenge than their southern cousins.....

Thanks for the hint about the CG in Kamloops.

HamRad

[sgtpp214]

Based on what I have found on this and other RV forums the price of fuel dictates you travel the US route and save money. As a deputy sheriff patroling US 2 in Bayfield Co in Northern WI I found a lot of Canadian travelers and the main reason was the cheaper US fuel prices and this included a large number of semis.

[HamRad]

Hello Bill,
I had forgotten about this thread, sorry. To update: We hooked up to Hwy. 1 just north of Sumas, WA. It is freeway in this area all the way to Hope. From Hope you either take Hwy. 1 or take the toll road Hwy. 5. We opted for the toll road simply because we needed to get to our destination in Kamloops quickly. By the way the cost for the toll road was $10 Canadian. Somewhat confusing because they do charge by the axle. But RVs are a special rate. That was a nice surprise because I'd calculated $40. The steepest grade we encountered was on this section of road as indicated by others. It was slow going but the truck got the job done. I believe at one point I was down to about 35 to 40 mph. Slow but it wasn't too long a pull. Nice road.

From Kamloops the road follows the river mostly as a two lane road with lots of passing lanes. Again, as others have already indicated, a relatively easy road to drive. Only heavy traffic areas was around cities. Once out in the open country traffic was relatively light. Of course that may change as we get more into tourist season. I would recommend this road if you have never been in this area simply because the scenery is so awesome. You should have no trouble pulling your rig.

Good luck.

HamRad

[Bill Frisbee]

Many thanks Mary Kay & Dennis ...

The section north of Hope on Hwy 5 is the area everyone seems to remember most vividly!. At this point, I feel more comfortable hauling the Monty up the grade rather than down ... so the west to east trek is the one we are most likely to take thru BC to Alberta. We have some friends who just did the route from Lake Louise to Jasper and said it was incredible as well. That would take us through the Yellowhead rather than following the Trans Canada. Time will tell.

Thanks again for the information. Happy and safe travels.

Bill