Downgrades?

Spotted Wolf Pass anyone?

 

If you're getting on your brakes regularly out west, you're in the wrong gear. It can take 5, 10 , 20, (90 if on Donner) minutes to get to the bottom of the grade if you're west of the Rockies.

You need to rely on engine compression/gearing and jakes to keep your speed under control. Brake pads alone won't do it.

A lot of drivers back east to like to ride their brakes all the way down the East Coast grades.

 

The other side is just as bad and was much worse when then did construction to widen the road. At least you have an escape ramp on that side plus AZ doesn't let you take super tankers in there that weigh over 100,000lbs. They're both good roads to teach with after the driver fully understands going down grades.

 

There some 10% hills in Pa. on state roads thats the ones I really dislike.

 

PA has a few mean ones, and the I26 hill west of Ashville is a really long and steep one too. in virginia, US29 South off of I64 to lynchburg is one heck of a rollercoaster ride. not too bad as far as downgrades go, but it is very windy and narrow in some spots. i had a blast there one afternoon.

i do remember going down one in PA to Punxatawnee that was 9% or so. it wasnt too long, maybe 3/4 mile long, but man was it ever steep. there are several in california as well.

 

Truijillo, NM (E/O Las Vegas, NM) Has an 11% grade for one mile........


I was on an access road S/O of Reno for that new bridge for the 395.....It was a 1:1....Real fun with 48K of re-bar on the wagon.....

 

I-24 going East into Choo Choo can be fun too if you got a heavy load! Didn't see I-17 out of Flagstaff mentioned either, though most might consider that a baby hill.

 

I havent driven all that long but I have done all the big mountains out west once or twice and that one out of flagstaff going to phoenix is the only one ive ever seen people smoking their brakes on. Multiple times at that. That one is deceptive and long. Only requires having to gear down one but seems a lot of drivers dont do it.

 

Allow Me... i have run that hill a million times and i cant count the number of trucks ive seen smoking going down that hill...Thank god there has never been a crash at that stop light but its been close on a few occasions...