Moving to Colorado from Oregon (USA) in late February
Hi everyone!
I am moving to Colorado from Oregon late February and will be driving with my cat. I am shipping my belongings separately so it’s just us in the car.
We will be traveling through Idaho, Utah, and Colorado. I have never been through any of these states, particularly this time of year. My planned route is
Day 1 - Portland, OR -> Boise, ID
Day 2 - Boise, ID -> Salt Lake City, UT
Day 3 - Salt Lake City, UT -> Grand Junction, CO
Day 4 - Grand Junction, CO -> Denver, CO
Because of the time of year, I wanted to see if anyone had tips for traveling this route. I have checked average temperatures for the cities I’ll be stopping in for that time of year but I know that’s not the full story. I’m also going to get my car checked out before the long drive to make sure all is well. I have all season tires that are newer and chains already in the car.
I have a first aid kit, will bring a few blankets and some food/water for both me and the cat (Marge), a battery pack, and a few days of clothes for the traveling. That’s all I could think of.
Does anyone have suggestions or tips for this 1200+ mile trip? Also, my cat has only ever been in the car for about 3 hours at most. She’s sometimes anxious and sometimes chill. If anyone has suggestions for traveling with a cat in the car for up to 7 hours per day, that would also be appreciated!
My suggestions would be to get a cheap cold weather sleeping bag from walmart (they are like $50) and a mylar emergency bag instead of blankets (protip: you will pay double the price for the sleeping bag on amazon, just go to the store). You will be WAY better off if incliment weather strands you than you will be with blankets that usually are only good for mild cold (put the sleeping bag inside of the mylar bag in an emergency).
As far as traveling with a cat goes, I recommend that you talk to your vet about getting some medication to keep it calm / sedated while you are on the road. For its safety and your safety, you should keep it in its crate/carrier for the duration of the trip. Otherwise cats sometimes will try to hole up underneath the gas / brake pedals of the car because they are nervous. Also the cat will give zero cares about peeing on your car's seats / carpet if you leave it out (the smell will never come out). Accidents in the pet carrier are easy to clean up and you should bring materials to deal with that if it happens (put a towel that you don't care about in the bottom, and bring extras). Pet stores sell disposable litter boxes. You should buy a few for your hotel stops. You should also throw a blanket over the crate to help you companion stay warm when you make extended stops for food, etc...
Also your cat is going to howl a LOT. It won't be fun for either of you. I recommend headphones with music to drown that out (be nice to the cat and don't blast or even run the stereo as it will only serve to stress it out more).
For my long move I got a long crate that held a small liter box on one side and a water & food dish (deeper bowls to prevent spillage) on the other. I set up the crate inside a couple weeks before moving so it became familiar and non-threatening. Even put in the liter box a few days before and it was used. Though the doors did require propping open and it took up a non-trivial amount of floor space (and car space). I lined the bottom with familiar, lightweight towels.
As mentioned, got medication from mt vet. Tried it once ahead of time in a normal household setting to understand its effects & effectiveness as well as practicing giving the pill. Note how long the medication lasts as it varies from cat to cat. Knowing the length can help you plan out dosage times.
Still some howling even on medication. Found it better to not respond, which is easier said than done. Be careful using earbuds or headphones since that can be dangerous and illegal (not legal advice).
There's a lot of logistical planning involved with this. Things will randomly come to mind throughout the process, so make sure to jot things down to keep track. If you find yourself overwhelmed, try breaking the problems/tasks down into manageable pieces. It's ok to only get one thing done at a time.
Thanks for the advice and the long crate is such an awesome idea! Looking into that now.
For what it's worth, it is illegal to wear headphones while driving in Colorado.
Check your weather forecast at weather.gov the each night and morning while traveling. Look up all the passes you go through asking the way and bookmark their status/condition site for easy reference. Make sure you have good all season or mud/snow tires (not studs or snow specific), and make sure you have a set of chains, jug of windshield fluid rated to -20, liter of oil, a battery jump start kit (around $70), foot/hand pump that fits your tires (powered one as well if you like), basic tool kit, basic first aid kit, a tie plug kit with the rasp and the gooey plugs, air pressure gauge, extra windshield wipers, extra food, collapsible shovel, and a pair of jumper cables. Keep a sleeping bag and mylar cocoon for yourself and blankets for your cat.
Have extra water and a nalgene. You can keep the nalgene in the sleeping bag with you to keep it liquid.
I know the above sounds like a lot. But trust me, if you break down or become stranded in a mountain pass having the tools to self recover, travel with chain restrictions, or weather out the night until you can get help is vital. Living in Colorado, having all the things I listed in your car most of the time isn't a bad idea.
You have already gotten ample good advice, but I saw a few minor details missing.
Put your chains on and take them off at least once in your driveway before going. They can be very difficult, especially if your tires are caked up with snow or mud. You'll want to know the process by heart or write down instructions, there will be significant portions of that journey without internet.
How new is your car? I have put cotton balls in my dog's ears for long trips before but my truck is old and loud.
You'll be on intestate almost this whole time so I don't think you have a lot to worry about. The stretch from SLC to GJT is a little desolate. This is the only portion of the trip you won't be on a major interstate the whole time. It's just a 2 lane from basically SLC until you hit 70, I think around Green River, UT (not to be confused with the relatively nearby, Green River, WY). Also 70 through eastern Utah is very sparse but there's enough traffic you won't be in any danger of being stranded.
I made the move Washington -> Colorado in 2013. It's nice because the culture is similar but population is less dense. A lot of west coast transplants out here.
I am curious about the route. You will hit multiple passes and I'm curious if Salt Lake -> Laramie/Cheyanne -> Denver might avoid some of the higher passes/skiing traffic. I-70 between Grand Junction->Denver isn't bad but goes through a couple very high altitude passes. It is maintained because of all the skiing that happens but depending on when you get into Summit County traffic could be very heavy.
If your means allow, I'd consider getting snow tires, all seasons get sketchy, especially if they've got some miles on them. You could keep the snow tires on until about April.
80 through western Wyoming can be really bad. I'd avoid that in the winter. Staying on 70 means there are a lot more towns, and therefore options for hotels, if you get stranded. We drove from Jackson Hole to Vail last spring and got stuck in green river, Wyoming for 2 days. We got the very last hotel room in (what seemed like) the entire town. Couldn't even get over to rock springs. I was driving through sustained snow at least 2-3 ft deep and snow drifts taller than the hood of my truck when we tried to "escape" down through flaming gorge, it was so bad it took miles of that to find a spot it felt safe to turn around. There are a lot more towns, more plow trucks, more emergency services, along 70...
In the words of Gandalf, "No, I would not take the road through
MoriaI80 in Western Wyoming in the winter unless I had no other choice."Good feedback, I've only done that drive a couple times. I was also thinking Salt Lake -> Steam Boat, but I've had some hard drives over the rabbit ears and cameron pass too.
Rabbit ears can be bad but at least it's is relatively low consequence if you go off. Monarch Pass and the million dollar highway in the snow are the two scariest drives I've done, as far as paved road go.
The road from 80 to Craig stays open because of a mine up there (or so I've heard). Apparently there's a lot of money behind keeping that open, nicely maintained, and plowed. So if you can get to that exit before the snow hits that's usually a good goal. Unfortunately those mine trucks don't slow down for deer so it's not a good road for people with weak stomachs.
I would very much check the weather and be prepared to reroute or hole up and wait in case of snow storms. Interstates 40 or 80 will be more straightforward to use than state highways in bad weather but you could easily have no problems at all. Be aware of altitude and where the highest passes are along your route.
@rip_rike I'm going to edit this to be more clear. Your route looks great for beautiful weather, which could happen. If there are storms forecast, I would travel straight south and then take I 40 east until past the Rockies.
This is all awesome advice, thank you all for taking the time to help!