Weather
In the west, and particularly the
mountain west, the weather is subject to rapid change without
warning. I've personally experienced this when a squall came in
without warning one time when I was just outside of Bailey, Colorado.
I was parked at a gas station for roughly an hour waiting for the
storm to pass. However, I'd rather be parked at a gas station for an
hour than at weather's mercy. Do not drive past your usual skill
level. If you're used to driving in snowpacked and icy roads and
have the vehicle to navigate it, great. But a mountain pass isn't
exactly the place to put it to the test for the first time ever.
Blowing snow is not uncommon in high
elevation basins in Colorado (basins are large swaths of flat land
surrounded by mountains in almost a bowl-like setup. The elevation
in the flat parts of these basins can be upwards on 8-9,000 feet).
It's like being caught in a pure white tornado. If the road is more
or less clear, tailgate the hell out of the car in front of you or
find a reference point you can work with and make room for the fact
that you may be very disoriented after. Use this advice for dust storms as well.
Road Closures
The west is very rural, meaning that
the infrastructure does not have the means to salt and plow every
inch of road when there is a weather event. And given that it's so
often sunny later the same day, it's not uncommon for it to melt.
Some mountain passes close seasonally, check on this if you're
traveling in the winter. At times entire sections of interstate will
close in between towns. Interstate 70 in Colorado will close at
times from the Kansas border to the Denver metro area because there
are not enough towns and travel centers to accommodate everyone who
will need to pull off. If this is the case, there will be a bar
across the road and a sign telling you to return to where you just
passed. Sometimes this message may be shown on those boards that dot
the interstate. However, in rural areas don't expect advance
warning. Once I made it all the way to the New Mexico border only to
be told to turn back. The nearest road to properly take me to my
destination split off 30 miles behind me.
As I mentioned earlier, downloading the
road conditions apps can help give you as much advance knowledge as
possible, but sometimes things just come up. Road closures in the
rural west are a fact of life which means traveling in the area
requires a certain flexibility.
Wildfires
Wildfires are common in the west in the
summer. When the conditions are dry and windy enough, they can
develop and spread without warning. Unfortunately they are
incredibly common and have been devastatingly destructive in years
past. Trips to the west June-September will probably put you within
close range of at least one as it's not uncommon for multiple fires
to be going at the same time. Stay alert, check the road closure
apps in populated areas before you head out into the sticks and for
the love of God turn around if a sign asks you to.
Animals
The west has animals. They're
beautiful and majestic and unique. They are also not to be
interfered with. Take pictures from a safe distance if you chose to
(meaning you aren't struggling to stay perfectly still so the coyote
20 feet away doesn't come charging at you). Don't feed them as it is
a) illegal and b) ignorant. If you see a baby animal with no mother,
do not intervene, the mother is probably not far behind. Animals
very rarely attack at random, don't provoke it and it won't mess with
you. If a wild animal begins acting very friendly towards you, get
away from it as it may be rabid.
One special note about the moose: If
you or you car decide to challenge a moose, there's a very
significant chance that you may die. When a car hits a moose, it
doesn't hit the body like it would with a deer because moose are
HUGE. It hits the legs, which causes the moose to topple over onto
your car, killing or injuring whoever is inside). Be especially careful driving in rural areas
after dark for this reason.
Private Property
Vast swaths of land in the west are
publicly owned, but much if it is family ranches and private land.
You may feel like you're in the absolute middle of nowhere with not a
soul around. This may make you feel comfortable with the idea of
crossing a fence and going up that hill to get a better look and to
take pictures without consequence, but chances are that land belongs
to someone who doesn't take to kindly to visitors. The Progressive
commercial where the three bears sarcastically say to Flo, who broke
into their damn cabin, that they love visitors so much that they
moved to the rural country accurately sums up my father, who will be
a country dweller as long as he will live. I would imagine this sums
up the character of many rural inhabitants. They are there because
they don't want you to bother them, plain and simple. It is seen as
extremely disrespectful to go on to someone's property without their
permission. Another the thing that sums up the character of rural
inhabitants is both the ownership and competent usage of firearms (if you've never lived where no one would hear if you screamed, do not debate these people about gun control).
If you see a No Trespassing sign, it's not meant to be a suggestion.
Altitude
Denver sits at 5,280 feet, literally.
Denver is the last of the Great Plains and is back dropped by
mountains, meaning it only goes up from there. Driving in Colorado
will top out at 10,000 feet, no exaggeration. If you are not used to
this, you will probably experience a few days of sluggishness known
as altitude sickness. Rest, more water than you've ever drank in
your life and time are it's only cures, but it does improve. For
symptoms worse than sluggishness or malaise brought on by
dehydration, go to the hospital.
In a nutshell, if you come to Colorado
from New Jersey and expect to accomplish a 5 mile hike in the
mountains the very next day without any issue, you're not planning
well. Commonsense and a respect/deference to local customs will get
you 90% of the way in any situation you may find yourself in. The
rest is chance.
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