Heading west across new mexico

[GWZ1948]

Our plans are to head West across New Mexico from Clovis to the Arizona border on Hwy 60. Have any of you words of wisdom on this route? Hwy 60 west of I-25 (south of Albuqerque) seems to have some grade challenges!! Any advice?
Am pulling a 40' Bighorn w/ F-350 diesel dually.
Currently resting well in Abilene, TX and will make final travel decision tomorrow or the next day!

Thanks,
Godfrey

 

[Jim.Allison]

Nope, enjoy the ride. Watch the weather. Your truck has the guts to handle any pass out there.

Our plans are to head West across New Mexico from Clovis to the Arizona border on Hwy 60. Have any of you words of wisdom on this route? Hwy 60 west of I-25 (south of Albuqerque) seems to have some grade challenges!! Any advice?
Am pulling a 40' Bighorn w/ F-350 diesel dually.
Currently resting well in Abilene, TX and will make final travel decision tomorrow or the next day!

Thanks,
Godfrey

 

[GWZ1948]

Big thanks! I'll rest well tonite!!

 

[Jim.Allison]

I'm serious about the weather. You need to plan for the weather. Snow and pea size hail is not uncommon. 90% of the time the ice melts as soon as the sun hits it.

The desert and mountains out there are interesting, it can be 70 in the afternoon, but when the sun goes down it can get cold enough to freeze at about 4:00 in the morning. Because the sky is so clear, all the heat escapes into space, there is nothing to hold the heat in. In this manner you can get some ice patches here and there especially in the shady side of the mountains. But then in then in the day the sky is so clear that the suns rays will melt and evaporate the ice and resultant water. It will be 70 again by 9:00 am. The traffic also destroys any of this type ice on the road. Its nothing to be overly concerned about, but you should know about it in advance.

Pea size hail might get you, but more likely you will run into a patch of it that has fallen before you get there. But the chances are, that you will make the whole trip in perfect sunshine, take you sunglasses with you. you will probably need them, The Arizona flag is not an image of the setting sun for no reason at all.

 

[GWZ1948]

Again, thanks. I do dread the pea size hail. A week ago we were camped in Louisiana under very large oak trees. The acorns were falling at a rate of maybe a dozen a minute and made a horrid noise. I would prefer to stay well clear of the "pea sized" hail. Can't even imagine the noise that would create!

 

[d_fergie]

Little south of there but, weather for next few days should be 60's - 70's around Clovis & breezy ...

 

[scottyb]

Not sure if you are coming from Clovis or just using it a your entry point to NM. I traveled through NM earlier this month, on US 380 via Tatum, NM to US 285 at Roswell, then North to I-40 at Clines Corner. My wife and I thought it was the easiest and smoothest route we have ever taken. Light traffic slight grades, and good roads all the way to Albuquerque.

 

[JohnD]

We'll be travelling from Denver to Albuquerque, NM (where we will spend the first night on the road), then west to Flagstaff to visit the Grand Canyon (where we will spend the second, and maybe the third night on the road) in January, 2015, before we head just west of Phoenix for the Arizona HOC Rally at Quartzsite.

So this topic thread is interesting for me!

Any thoughts on the travel or places to spend the night on this trip will be much appreciated!

 

[Jim.Allison]

I dont know if it is on your route of travel but the Whittington Center has an outstanding RV park and everyone is welcome, I stayed there 30 bucks for full hookup 50 amp, also has primitive for boondockers. It would be west of Raton on on US 64. Wildlife will be walking through your site.

 

[TravelTiger]

One time from Clovis we took 60 to Fort Sumner, then 84 to Santa Rosa and got on I-40. I seem to remember not much shoulder but not much traffic, either on 60. I-40 gets lots of truck traffic but it's fairly easy driving.


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[TXTiger]

I just just did this rout early Oct. I left South Dakota and headed for Denver. Went south on I-25 to Albuquerque and then I-40 to Flagstaff, I-17 to Phoenix, I -10 to Palm Springs where I am now. Hit some traffic going thru Denver even on a Sat morning. I-17 between Flagstaff and Phoenix has some steep hills and some traffic around Phoenix but the roads were all good. See you at Quartzsite in Jan.

We'll be travelling from Denver to Albuquerque, NM (where we will spend the first night on the road), then west to Flagstaff to visit the Grand Canyon (where we will spend the second, and maybe the third night on the road) in January, 2015, before we head just west of Phoenix for the Arizona HOC Rally at Quartzsite.

So this topic thread is interesting for me!

Any thoughts on the travel or places to spend the night on this trip will be much appreciated!

 

[NMGliderPilot]

If you haven't already gone through Clovis, drop me a line. DW and I live there and would happily buy you a coffee or a meal.

 

[mayflower]

Heading west from Albuquerque, NM to Williams, AZ...Any steep grades that direction?

 

[JohnD]

Heading west from Albuquerque, NM to Williams, AZ...Any steep grades that direction?

We drove that route back in January . . . no major mountain passes, although we did turn north at Highway 64 west of Flagstaff to the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

By and large a nice drive!

 

[TravelTiger]

Heading west from Albuquerque, NM to Williams, AZ...Any steep grades that direction?

We travel to Colorado, so our version of steep is STEEP. But we don't recall any -- around flagstaff some rise through the pines, but not steep. Course it's been 5 years since we went.



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[AAdams]

Just west of Williams near Ash Fork there is a steep grade- 5 miles of 4 - 6% grade. From Albuquerque NM to Arizona there are no steep grades on HWY 40. So From Albuquerque NM to Williams there are no steep grades.

 

[Lynn1130]

Yeah, but that is downhill if you are going West out of Williams.

 

[AAdams]

I should have clarified, I haven't been out that way before. Just was reading the books about steep grades that I received a few days ago.

 

[mayflower]

We drove that route back in January . . . no major mountain passes, although we did turn north at Highway 64 west of Flagstaff to the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

By and large a nice drive!

Thank you so much JohnD. That is probably the same route we will take.

 

[mayflower]

Good to know TravelTiger...appreciate the help.