roadtrip or snap and kill trip
March 16, 2007: So my life over the last few months has been stressful. I'm trying to open my own coffee shop, and keep running into roadblocks on the financial side. Banks not returning my calls, my credit rating getting tons of queries thus making me look unfavorable to other banks, former employees who said they would come with me jumping ship because of how long this is taking, and more and more "no"'s from more and more people. I'm stressed. Tremendously. So how to solve the stressed issue? Roadtrip! Make it a long one (total of 15 hours on the road), visit old stomping grounds, and just relax. It's what the doctor ordered.
We have a mission.
On the last page, I devised a mission to this trip. It's a little after 3pm, and I'm going to see if we can make it to the eastern end of western 76 before sundown. It's 187 miles to the other side, with some towns and detours along the way. It's a stretch, but I'm going to try.
)
About 2 miles after the SH 2 interchange lies E-470. There's no access to it from EB 76.
)
Northbound E-470 does get a ramp to EB 76 though. It flies over the railroad tracks in an impressive way.
)
Stretch dem pillars!
)
One big retaining platform for the ramp.
)
Okay, all you roads scholars, I need help. What is this sign saying?
)
Another one of those signs just up the road.
)
Now we're traveling on Interstate 9L. I thought letter suffix interstates were gone.
)
So what if the sign got knocked down, run over, and seriously beaten up? You can still see its meaning.
)
Interesting font.
)
The railroad leads to some stretched out bridges.
)
This sign is up here for The Skirt's dad, whose last name is Hudson.
)
New cement and not a lot else out here after Lochbuie.
)
Oh, wait. I take that back. That doesn't seem to be that safe to me.
)
Advanced warning about a low clearance. See? That construction crew from the first page needs to come out here and take notes.
)
Welcome to Roggen, home of this silo.
)
I spied an old alignment of US 6 (I'm guessing) off the right side of the roadway.
)
Traffic wasn't allowed on that alignment for long.
)
Gotta go? Tough. Hold it for 6.5 minutes.
)
SH 144 never directly intersects 76. Just its frontage road.
)
You know what? We have time. Let's double back to see 144.
)
And here we are at the BEGIN!ning of SH 144. It goes to the right.
)
To the left (south) lies this overpass.
)
Let's head down SH 144 for a while. Not long, I promise.
)
SH 144 is a seriously rural road. You'll get a great car wash on irrigation days, I bet.
)
Coming up to US 34. I'm surprised this section of 144 hasn't been turned back.
)
Heading back to 76 on US 34.
)
Moo. I'll never be able to get used to the smell dairy farms exude.
)
US 34 has a partial diamond interchange with SHs 39 and 52 just before merging silently onto I-76.
)
We've exited 34. Had to photograph 39's end, you know.
)
SH 39's END! Not the best pict, but it's one more end that I have.
)
As soon as you turn southwards on 52, you climb up to go over I-76.
)
Okay, time to clear up something. This sign says TO 52. Technically, that's correct. Eastbound 52 silently merges onto I-76 eastbound here. The road we're on right now is considered part of 52 just so CDOT keeps maintaining it. I think.
)
Looking down the kinda-END! of the western portion of 52. PSA: this is an extremely rough railroad crossing.
)
This is how this end of 52 is pictured. Helpful, huh?
)
I guess 76 has some seriously rural parts to it. This should be signed as TO 76, but follows the old US 6 alignment. SH 56 is not 346 miles long.
)
An Allowed Cloud at the local rest stop.
)
A Sign Convention™ at the exit of the rest area.
)
Back on eastbound 76. This has to be one of the most rural VMSes you'll see.
)
High winds a problem? Install a windsock.
)
This exit's for Long Bridge Road. I don't think it's talking about either of these bridges.
)
Weigh Station in the middle of nowhere.
)
The East is an obvious addition. I can't remember when 34 was rerouted onto the interstate through here.
)
Interesting how the sloped cement was added onto what looks like your standard prefab cement beam. Also, check out how the asset tag is chisled onto the pillar.
)
Remember SH 144? It's back. It makes one large northerly loop from I-76.
)
Here's where SH 52 regains its identity.
)
Fort Morgan is also a good stopping point when the snow gets bad.
)
After Fort Morgan, we travel on really new cement. How do I know? The double-yellow lines have only recently been shaved off.
)
US routes 6 and 34 have been either multiplexed or right alongside I-76 for a while. This is where that changes. 6 heads to the north of 76 and 34 heads due east.
- Where to next?
- Page 3
- This trip's Index
- Page 5
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with any of the orginizations listed within this site. I'm just a bored roadgeek with way too much time on his hands. All of the picts in this page are mine and mine alone unless otherwise noted. Remember, kids: stealing is bad, mmmm-k? I get quite pissy if things are taken without telling me. I don't like to be pissy. You won't like it either. If you want to link to this page, that's fine. Please shoot me an email beforehand so I can link to your page as well. K? Thanks. --Ryan
Additional links you may find handy... Sitemap ... RSS Feed information