You can make it but better get moving. As stated, weather is unpredictable this time of year. October is transition month. Mark's covered CO and UT, it's about altitude and what sort of luck you have. Check with locals wherever you are.

I crossed the Sierras riding 3 different passes over the last four days. All beautiful and ALL open .... for now. But things can change. I like Highway 108 (Sonora Pass). Less construction, less traffic.

But ALL our Sierra passes are wonderful: Highway 4 (Monitor Pass) ,Highway 50, Highway 89 (Kingsfield Grade), Highway 88 (Carson pass), Highway 120 (Tioga pass) and MORE.

If all are closed your best bet is Interstate 80, which they try very hard to keep open. But if any are seriously ICED UP ... DO NOT RIDE OVER .. instead, head SOUTH!

Thank you Mark and MollyDog for your answers! Very useful indeed

I think I will try to do a bit of southern Colorado and Utah then. I will just check every night and figure out what to do next morning...

Let me get this straight. After Nevada (Death Valley), I should go north and cross the mountains through one of the passes MollyDog mentioned, or if they are closed, then the I-80 or if that one is bad to... then my only option is going south through Bakersfield? Is that right?

Regarding Colorado, I understand that mountain passes are higher so I don't plan to do much more than riding 160. Unless you have a different recommendation.

Regarding Utah, I have been in Utah before (in a car, in spring) so I don't have to ride to absolutely every corner of the state. I just thought it would be nice to add a couple of main sights on my way to San Francisco.

If things are nasty in Colorado/Utah, I would be content by riding south to Monument Valley in Arizona and hit Grand Canyon and Death Valley on my way west.

So now I have more or less a plan and a backup plan. How does it sound?

I'm currently in Mooreland, OK. Tomorrow should I go to Alamosa CO and ride the 160 to Durango the next day or go south through New Mexico?

Thanks again!

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Just to keep you informed, I'm in Raton tonight and it is indeed a bit chilli. Which is not so bad because I was MELTING in Oklahoma..

Tomorrow I will figure out my next move!

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Before you leave Death Valley area, check about conditions of passes ... or go online to CAL TRANS. Easy. If passes (or pass) are open, just head WEST from Death Valley to highway 395, go NORTH ... passes come up one right after the other, take your pick. They only go up to about 10,000 ft. for the highest ones. All are great really. I prefer either 108 or 89 over to 88.

If totally snowed in (very doubtful in October) ... then YES, head South to Bakersfield, then go WEST to Highway 5 or Highway One ... then North to San Francisco Bay area. Or, if out of time, just take highway 5 all the way to Mexico. You can make it in a days ride from Bakersfield, no problem. (6 hours or so?)

Thanks a lot! Super useful

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MrHicks,

Just came across this thread by chance and recognised your name as I follow you on FB. We recently shared our views on Sonic haha

I just got back from 2 months in the southwest and Southern Colorado was by far by favourite. It may be a bit chilly there by now but if you're still considering it I can share my personal favourite roads there with you.

Off the top of my head;

- Heading south from Grand Junction via Red Mountain Pass (AMAZING)
The other side of those mountains (perhaps head north once youve gone south, follow the Dolores river up
- The 133 between Carbondale and Grand Junction

If you want more info I can have a look through my maps

Also in Southern Utah, the Burr Trail was quite nice

A couple of pics I could find to give you an idea

Burr Trail in Southern Utah



Taken along the 133 from Carbondale headed west/south

Sorry for the multiple replies. Just read your time constraints and also the weather at elevation as posted by others.

If you are in fact just headed west now (being in NM already), something else you may want to entertain is checking out the North Rim of the Grand Canyon via say, Panguitch

Nice back roads and very quiet part of the Grand Canyon

Only things to be aware of is cops in that area and also I copped a fair bit of rain and hail

Thank you. Yes, as you notice. I will not have time for things like the Burr Trail

But I think I have a plan now. I will head west from Raton then North to Durango and depending on time and weather I may adventure a bit into Utha or just ride west, hit Monument Valley in Arizona and the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Then through Death Valley and across the Sierras to SF. That's it basically.

We'll see..

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Hi, wen do you go to Mexico? I stay in LA and want to go to Yoshua Tree park this week, then Mexicali and to the north of Baja California. Waiting for my bike, its to service here in Costa Mesa.
Copper Canyon, then south to moon and sun pyramid.

Don't really know when exactly. I plan to get to San Francisco in a couple of days and I will spend like one week there. After that I will head south since my tourist permit ends the 28th.

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