Chicago to Salt Lake City - I80, how is the run ?

it's ssoooo borning in WY that wydot has set up bleachers on the side of the freeway so when the deer and antelope stop playing they have someplace to sit and watch the trucks go by

 

I live in Salt Lake but am still a four wheeler so this will given from that view point.

Parleys has a brake check area at the summit and a runaway truck lane (heaven forbid it's ever needed). The descent into Salt Lake is 10-12 miles with multiple swooping curves. The final curve as you get into Salt Lake is particularily tight and not very well thought out at all.

I-84 is a flatter road. The only downside I can think of is you will join I-15 in Ogden, and will need to deal with the traffic going into Salt Lake, which can be very heavy, especially weekday mornings

 

And if your over height or hazmat consider the "mountainous terrain" going over Loveland. Summit at 11,999 ft. Was snowing on the East side on July 4, 2010.

 

what does loveland pass have to do with this run....??

 

Reread the "quote" that opened my post. Pay particular attention to the last line in the quote.

 

plus the super truckers use them in the winter while waitin on the tow trucks to come pull them outta the ditch....lol......

 

Sometimes it's hard to follow the flow.....when all concentration is on the main topic....and we never deviate from the OP's primary question!

 

This route is BRUTALLY boring until Utah, (and then after SLC it becomes brutally boring again until hitting Reno and going into Cali / Donner Pass. The great salt flats, desert desert desert Central NV is almost worse then WY). I just did this route, accept I started in Ohio and ran 80 all the way to Sacramento, and then down to L.A, then Phoenix, Then Dallas, Then... Blah blah i digress. But honestly this route is a true test of mental stamina, once you are out passed Chi town it is absolutely nothing the whole way, and the only thing that really breaks it up is the Rockies which you wont see until you drop down into Utah from WY. If you want easy strait line, floor to the ground driving for 3 days its good, but if you are wanting anything to view you are in for a rough time.

Iowa = a big over crowded truck stop when you enter state, then hundreds of miles of corn corn corn corn corn corn.

Nebraska = Just like Iowa accept instead of corn its cow cow cow cow cow cow cow. Pretty much 1 in 5 trucks on the road there is a slaughter wagon full of a fresh batch headed to the packing plant. They have some sort of cult it seems like too, they all have strait pipe black petes that are typically lowered and just look like death machines, sometimes decorated with cattle skull on front radiator intake. They also all park together, they are a creepy bunch.

Wyoming = Welcome to mars... Green hill / mini mountains with nothing but shrubs and snow drift wood fences. Oh and windmills. The altitude is too high for trees for the most part, so it is basically barren tundra for a good 8 hours of driving, ENJOY!.

Utah = Starts to resemble a coors lite commercial, you hit the rockies and SLC is honestly one of the most beautiful area's in the country (Too bad the mormons took it over and its wasted on them).

After SLC = Welcome to the great salt flats for the next 150-200 miles or so. Nothing but 100% flat salt beds with mountains far far far off in the distance (like 80-100 miles away). People right random #### in the salt with beer bottles and stones, its like some tourist tradition. 150 miles or so of "JP <3's KT etc etc etc.

Nevada = When you cross over there is a small gambling town, and after that it is absolute brain melting boredom. Yeah there are some grades here and there, and a few mountains, but its as desolate as WY all the way until Reno.

Cali = Nothing like the rest of 80, a lot more to see and enjoy, and some challenges like donner pass to keep your attention (or ruin your day if its in winter, GL with that.)

 

Nobody warned you that you would have to entertain yourself as a OTR driver?

And just exactly what did you have for dessert while crossing the barren desert?

OK...we can accept that with one exception....the next group of words that are coming!

I-80 to Sacramento is good....I never could figure out how to get to L.A., Phoenix, and Dallas on I-80!

Just like outer space...a void...nothing, nothing, nothing......you know the people that live in all those towns and cities you went through will certainly have a different perspective!

I thought you said "nothing"...now there is something! The Rockies near the UT/WY border on I-80....hhmmmmm, are you driving across lower Canada or something? Maybe in your boredom you could have taken some time to figure out where you were and what you were seeing!

"Floor to ground"....I will have to ponder this conundrum! You didn't see any prong horn, you obviously didn't see the East slope of the Rockies, just to name a couple!

You call the Flying J/Peelot big...what happened to Iowa 80 a few miles beyond the J? You didn't notice all the soy planted along your journey? How about Des Moines, Davenport, the malls on both sides in Iowa City? No sunflowers either?

I am assuming this is (oh I hope so for your sake) tongue in cheek...those bull haulers (with a pig and a goat thrown in for equal rights...maybe even a little lamb too) will put up with a lot of stuff from wagon pullers...but calling them "creepy"....not good, not good at all! 20% of all the trucks are critter Cadillacs? lots of beef going to market I guess.

You missed the corn and soy and alfalfa across NE as well?

You have never heard the term "high mountain desert" I guess...I'm sorry you were crossing the dessert! Altitude? Were you flying or driving a truck....the correct term would be "elevation"....slight but a difference.

SLC...one of the most beautiful? Really? Almost as dirty as Denver...try the beautiful salt on the roads in the winter...then get back to me on that one!

Year round snow "topped" (use "capped" it is more appropriate) mountains.....and exactly where did you see this "year round snow topped mountain" in your 3 days of this route? "with rapids and streams" (streams have rapids?)...just where in UT along I-80 were you? I-84 maybe? And where is this "in between mountain lake"...you mean the man made reservoir at Coleville....you didn't notice the dam as you took the turn to the left when I-84 goes to the right?

Salt flats for 150-200 miles? let's see the Salt Flats....did you see the location of the Bonneville Speedway where the land speed record is attempted year after year?...Tooele (the T/A and Flying J truck stops west of SLC) is mile marker 99, then 47 miles before the Salt Flats begin with 41.3 miles to the NV border.....that "random ####" in the brine beds along the Interstate are traveler messages to those coming behind them....a tradition across the Salt Flats for well over 50 years.

Those "year round snow topped mountains" around SLC....those are the Wasatch Range...not the Rockies....you missed the Rockies back in WY...you know those mountains at a higher altitude than you were off to your left around Cheyenne and Laramie....must have been dark!

Well when I "cross over", I hope it will be in Heaven....similar to where I grew up in Ely, NV. That was Wendover...well actually West Wendover in NV, Wendover is in UT! (LOL)

Granted, NV across I-80 is a bit bleak....but there actually are "year round snow topped mountains" going across NV....first one will be Ruby Mt. south and west of Wells and south and east of Elko...then more scattered across the State. Speaking of Wells...you didn't get to meet Donna and the girls at the bordellos there...if you had your CB on they would have called out to you....

"Hey boys, free shower, free coffee, free conversation, no obligation!" Then the rundown on who the girls "on call" for the evening are.

What about Winnemucca...some very interesting history to be gleaned out of Winnemucca....and just beyond that...the T/A (used to be called Pucker Brush, a much more intriguing name if you ask me) at Mill City...and just around the corner Rye Patch Reservoir....not much for a truck, but it is still there and visible. On to Lovelock....how can you forget that name....then Fernley and the canyon into Reno/Sparks.

Actually, if you set your mind right, crossing NV can be almost interesting. But the OP is only going to SLC...so he won't get to experience the Salt Flats or Winnemucca or even Wendover let alone West Wendover!

How would you know about the pitfalls of Donner in the winter....you just drove it and the snow has been gone for a while now!

 

I thought Donnas place was in Battle Mountain.