What's the FLATTEST route from Seattle?

[Captain Goddammit]

I drive a very heavy truck'n'trailer to BM. I can make it up steep hills but it's really hard on things, and I don't wanna break. More distance for less hills is a good trade to me, even at higher fuel cost.

What's the easiest-on-the-truck way to go?

[unjonharley]

I drive a very heavy truck'n'trailer to BM. I can make it up steep hills but it's really hard on things, and I don't wanna break. More distance for less hills is a good trade to me, even at higher fuel cost.

What's the easiest-on-the-truck way to go?

\/
Or.HWY22 out of Salem to Sisters to Lakeview to Cedarville to BRC..500 miles.. Good climb out of Salem..Flat to Lakeview.. Steep strate climb to Cidarville with fast curvey desent into town.. Next 80 miles pretty fat with two quick climbs curves will put you down in lower gears.. Suggest down shift on desents..Better and less boreing than the Or.toCa. and over

p.s.getyourassingeardogdammit

[mdmf007]

This is one subject I consider my self an expert on. I live in Gig Harbor, WA and have an office in Winnemucca, Navada. After driving the route50-60 times, I can tell you the exact numbers including our transit times for tractors, Ford F550 Brush trucks, POVs, and International firetrucks.

From Seattle - Flattest route - not shortest is

I5
205 cut off
84 east bound
7 miles past ontario and just into oregon, follow signs to winnemucca on 395 south
If your in a car, you can take Jungo Sulfur road 1/4 mile before going into winnemucca. Make sure you fuel up, grab essentials as this is the last chance before going to BM.

Cpmtrary to myth Jungo Road is a well maintained mining road designed fo 500 ton dumptrucks. I can travel at 105mph in a ford F550 (the governed speed) without problems. To go to Bm I travel a sedate 60 most of the time. Jungo sulfur road is a public road maintained by the mining companies as they use it almost exclusively. Theres just nothing out there to go to, except fires, and gerlach. Since they have to pay to maintain it, and BLM makes them, the BLM makes it sound like its a washed out creekbed to keep traffic down. I on the other hand find it hard to feel bad for Newmont mining or the other companies that have to run a grader down it to keep it flat. Especially when the price of Gold has been in record high levels for a couple of years now. Its public, is open to the public, and I say game on.

If your driving a tractor a trailer over 40 feet it will drag if you have anything attached to the frame like air tanks, diesel tanks, cribbing racks, spare tires. The crossings for the railroad tracks have extremely steep angles of departure Not the best place to get stuck, as the trains go 90MPH out here. We reegularly bring a 53 foot van, but it has nothing below the frame rails. I drag a little, but our load is light as it is about 5 ton of cargo. We live in the reefer the rest of the time in the desert so its empty basically. It groans a little, but I can drag it right over. So I figure if I can get a 53 footer over, a 40 footer shouldnt even touch - IF IT HAS A CLEAR FRAME.

If you cant take Jungo road continue south to lovelock, and cut over, or to fernley and follow everyone else. Thats the flattest route. worst pass on I84 along the columbia this way is "Deadmans pass" just east of Pendleton. It is a good grade, but is the only one appreciable. It will take 15 minutes to climb then your done, and out of the basin.

all the rest I90, I5 south all have multiple major passes.

In a tractor it takes me 9 hours to winnemucca from Gig Harbor - if I eat on the road and another 2 hours to Gerlach on Jungo.

Drop me a PM. and I can email you the response spreadsheet we use for distances of our actual drive times with some maps, and favorite stops for grub. DO NOT PURCHASE FUEL AT BURNS JUNCTION add a buck fifty to the going rate per gallon.

ALSO THE MAP WILL SHOW THE HIGHWAY SOUTH FROM PENDLETON TO WINNEMUCCA AS THE SHORTEST and it is - by about 50 miles. Unfortunately it is very scenic and if you can get over 40 MPH on most of it your flying. I took that route my first trip to Winnemucca - took 23 hours to get to Winny from Gig Harbor.

later

[Steven bradford]

This question was just asked on the Northwest Burners list, and the overwhelming response to "flattest route" was http://gwally.com/directions/000418.php Route 3.

[wedeliver]

This question was just asked on the Northwest Burners list, and the overwhelming response to "flattest route" was http://gwally.com/directions/000418.php Route 3.

People tell me that its a long drive all the way to BRC, and a place to stop, rest up...get some water, take a shower, maybe camp for a night or two......

I did a google map from La Pine, Or to Alturas, CA and it recommends down through Klamath Falls, then in over the border in California you are on Hwy 139, it goes right past us, then ya all could stop here for your break in the drive.

[mdmf007]

some pretty steep grades coming out of klamath - and the road into Klamath is pretty scenic for a tractor to travel, In a car youll blast right along, try accelerating 40 tons of tractor every 45 seconds.

go through eastern oregon fro the least headache, and be in winnemucca in 9 hours, another 2 to Gerlach. 5 hours less than Route 3.

[The CO]

My personal fave:

I-5 to Hwy 58 east(willamette hwy)
Hwy 58 to hwy 97 south
Hwy 97 thru Klamath Falls to Hwy 39
Hwy 39 to hwy 139
Hwy 139 to hwy 299 towards Alturas, CA
Hwy 299 to hwy 447 to GERLACH.

Very little elevation compared to most other routes I have driven.

[Captain Goddammit]

My personal fave:

I-5 to Hwy 58 east(willamette hwy)
Hwy 58 to hwy 97 south
Hwy 97 thru Klamath Falls to Hwy 39
Hwy 39 to hwy 139
Hwy 139 to hwy 299 towards Alturas, CA
Hwy 299 to hwy 447 to GERLACH.

Very little elevation compared to most other routes I have driven.

That's the route I've been taking... lots of climbing, real hard on a very heavy rig.

[Flammepus]

I think that <b>mdmf007</b> has this one hands down. I have exclusively done the route through Alturas in the past and found that heavy vehicles are a <b>super bummer</b>. Climbing over to Eastern Oregon anywhere past Vancouver is a Bee-atch and going over the pass into Nevada from Alturas is HELLISH. "fastest route" becomes a moot point if you are in low gears going 12mph for a few miles. Plus, all of the wierd energy from the people behind you...also on their way to BRC...who get pissed off because they want to be at Burningman taking it easy really sucks.

Have a good trip down, Captain Goddammit. And Illegitimi non carborundum

...And Mr. Bradford? Is that you? Are you coming this year? Say you're coming!

[Captain Goddammit]

So far I think I've settled on I-5 south to Yreka, CA, then HWY 89 east, eventually HWY 395, into Reno... then up the 447 to the playa.

Any comments/info?

[Flammepus]

I don't know Cap'n . I have not counted up all of the passes that you will be crossing on that route, but it seems to me that the Siskyou Pass alone is reason to avoid that route (not to mention Grants Pass, the pass into Roseburg and several other of the rolly polly stretches of I-5). Its been about 12 years since I took 89 out of Yreka, but I remember it as a bit twisty in places with a fair amount of up and down that around Lassen (and here my map gets a little vague due to my rather heavy use of the CNS or "chronic navigation system" at the time...he, he). I still think that the Winnemucca route (and perhaps 447 instead of Jungo Rd since I have never driven it) still sounds better. If you are really hauling heavy, it is going to save hours and hours to be able to keep your rig rolling at hwy speeds on the flat, probably save you a fair ammount of fuel, and give you some pretty scenery as well. My $.02.

Good luck with whatever you choose! I'll be looking for you on the playa!

[mdmf007]

Just remember to Aavoid Burns Junction for fuel, It is strategically placed where people that do not fuel up in Winnemucca Headed North, or in Ontario or surrounding area, southbound.

Burns Junction charges at least 1.50 a gallon more.

[Captain Goddammit]

Yeah, I checked into that HWY 89 to Reno route a little more, I've been hearing it isn't as great as a friend of mine claimed. One of the guys at work that used to long-haul says that HWY 58 from Eugene, to HWY 97 to K-Falls, to HWY 139 into Alturas like I've been going is the way to go. There's still Cedar Pass, 6300 feet, between Alturas and Cedarville but it's only about 30 miles to Cedarville.
Hell, I guess that's what 1st and 2nd gear are for.
The Winnemucca route seems good but if I don't wanna take Jungo (no fucking way!!!) it looks a LOT further.

Damn, I wish The Flat Earth Society was right...

[The CO]

I stand behind my earlier statement...


Having driven about 5 different routes, I have found this one to be the best. Ya, Ceder Pass sucks, but it's really the only bad one versus several bad ones on other routes.

[Jamm'in]

Is the Road from Cedarville to Gerlach paved ?

[unjonharley]

Is the Road from Cedarville to Gerlach paved ?

\/
yes, but do not touch the shoulders of the road.. they are soft and will suck a car right off the road.. do not dodge the jakerabbits.. it can get you wrecked/killed.. sorry the rabbits will have to die.. at night slow down.. cattle like the warm pavement to sleep on.. your fucked if you hit one of those.. your vacation will be over in any of these cases..

[mdmf007]

also if you hit a cow and kill it in Nevada - You just bought it. 1400.00

[Captain Goddammit]

Yes, that is worth mention: SLOW the fuck down on the roads leading to the Playa at night! I drive as fast as I'm willing, not as fast as I can. I always have people passing me on the way in at night. If it weren't for the unseen danger of hitting cows or whatever, I'd go faster! If you're in that much of a hurry, do what I do, set out earlier!

[wedeliver]

also if you hit a cow and kill it in Nevada - You just bought it. 1400.00

And if you should die in the killing of the cow, your estate will pay the farmer who's livestock you killed on the STUPID OPENRANGE FOR SAFTEY IN AMERICA, CLOSE THE OPENRANGE

[wedeliver]

So far I think I've settled on I-5 south to Yreka, CA, then HWY 89 east, eventually HWY 395, into Reno... then up the 447 to the playa.

Any comments/info?

Some road construction on 89 between I5 and hwy 299 maybe more south of hwy 299 also.

[Captain Goddammit]

I've heard terrible rumors that farmers out there will put their oldest sickest livestock out by the road in hopes that it will get hit, so they can cash in on otherwise almost worthless animals... I dunno if that's true, but either way I don't wanna hit one.

[Jamm'in]

Thanks for the input. Im planning on heading out there early early monday morning....So Ill be the old blue cruiser, creeping my way to the playa. Around 1am, see you then...

[wedeliver]

Just another note about the OPEN RANGE and cows. If you do have cows in the roadway DO NOT honk your vehicle horn. The farmer brings supplimental feed to his cows on the range. The truck will honk it's horn to tell the cows it's dinner time. The cow will move for your vehicle (as long as it's baby is with it) just don't EVER HONK.

[Thecatman]

Think to if your insurance will cover hitting a cow. Or deer, or wild horse. Not only the cow but damage to your vehicle. Espacially if you were exceeding the posted speed limit. Unrelated to BM, a woman was killed on SR 445 a few years ago after hitting a wild horse