Best Route to WY from NC

I plan to drive SC to WY next fall alone. Cant find anyone to commit to go and its been 2 years of waiting. I can hold 16hours pretty easy at night driving. Leave after work and roll out. I dont like to be at the metcy of someone else. Stop when i gotta pee or get gas and eat on the road.
 
The two hunts I am and driving to are WY and SD this year, from my location in NY they are about 32 and 27 hours respectively. I make the drive in two days. Do about 18 hours the first day and finish the day after. I can do about 18 hours before I start getting loopy.
Everything else this year I am flying...
 
I just drove from NC to MT several years ago and just decided to not go back home. Makes ‘the drive’ a lot easier, now.
 
Depending where in WY you go South Dakota has an 80mph speed limit on their interstate. Found it very nice when we went to Mt. Rushmore. I80 isn't bad in NE but does see more traffic from my experience.
 
Headed thru Denver CO from Charlotte, leaving Friday for 2 weeks archery.

Prior years I've flown using miles, but giving the drive a go this year.

Be careful everybody!

Next year let's talk up some carpools :D
 
KHNC,

I live in Oxford NC. I hunt on a tight budget and am fortunately retired so I leave a few days before I have to so as to scout. But I often leave after rush hour from my area usually going 85-40 and ride till I start to get sleepy and find a rest stop. I can usually feel pretty rested after about 3 hours or less sleep so it's back on the road till I get sleepy again. I never use motels when traveling. I will take a ice chest with a few drinks and maybe take a few sandwhiches and some snacks and fruit and or nuts. When I get gas I also will sometimes by food or snacks as well and take care of other necessities. I've taken short rests also in truck stop parking lots but usually do my sleeping in state rest stops. I recall also that speed limits on some highways out west was as high as 80 mph legally. I've never had a problem of any kind traveling this way and I've done it most of my life. I did the same traveling to Alaska and back twice. Talk about a long haul though, that was it!
 
I just wanted to add that I learned long ago I could extend my awake time sipping on a large bottle of Mountain Dew but I use it as more of a emergency drink and don't recommend trying to use it long term. However it would probably be no worse than some of the newer so called energy drinks.
 
jimbo1755 said:
Are they working on the last tunnel on 77? Should be at that point about 6 am on Sunday AM.
Click to expand...

Jimbo,

I did some internet searches and saw closures back in June and July on the 77 tunnels but see no consistent lane closures right now. That said, I took a trip to Mississipi and another to Ohio in the last few months and traveled mostly at night. Unfortunately the thing now with minor construction of major roadways is to shut down lanes at night. So though we didn't experience long delays but one time, there were quite a few slow downs along the way due to night-time lane closures. Fortunatly as you may well know once you get pretty far west even with some lane closures there is far less traffic but you still have to watch as those high mountain passes can get slick at times even in Sept.
 
Roughwater said:
KHNC,

I live in Oxford NC. I hunt on a tight budget and am fortunately retired so I leave a few days before I have to so as to scout. But I often leave after rush hour from my area usually going 85-40 and ride till I start to get sleepy and find a rest stop. I can usually feel pretty rested after about 3 hours or less sleep so it's back on the road till I get sleepy again. I never use motels when traveling. I will take a ice chest with a few drinks and maybe take a few sandwhiches and some snacks and fruit and or nuts. When I get gas I also will sometimes by food or snacks as well and take care of other necessities. I've taken short rests also in truck stop parking lots but usually do my sleeping in state rest stops. I recall also that speed limits on some highways out west was as high as 80 mph legally. I've never had a problem of any kind traveling this way and I've done it most of my life. I did the same traveling to Alaska and back twice. Talk about a long haul though, that was it!
Click to expand...

Never thought about doing it that way, 4 hours and I'm usually good to go as well. We do the cooler thing going on duck trips. Stop, fix a sandwich, grab a drink, let nature call and roll out. I like driving at night for my long distance trips. I figure I can leave 3-4:00 pm and drive til daylight the next day. with your method I could nap a few hours at rest area and roll the rest of the trip.
 
Can't you get a ticket on the Kansas Turnpike for excessive speeding? If I remember correctly, there is a time stamp on the toll booth ticket that you get when you get on the turnpike. Then its turned in, at the last exit.

I'll be leaving Kentucky on the 16th headed to Montana. I64 to St. Louis, then I70 to KC, north to Nebraska, then west again right through Wyoming.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
 
maninthemaze said:
Can't you get a ticket on the Kansas Turnpike for excessive speeding? If I remember correctly, there is a time stamp on the toll booth ticket that you get when you get on the turnpike. Then its turned in, at the last exit.

I'll be leaving Kentucky on the 16th headed to Montana. I64 to St. Louis, then I70 to KC, north to Nebraska, then west again right through Wyoming.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I can't say it doesn't happen but I have never heard of turnpikes using the time stamp to issue tickes. It's the ticket venders job to make money not to issue speeding tickets. Personally I'm a bit of a cheapskate by neccessity. So I generally run the speed limit and sometimes less to save on fuel, wear and tear and save on the stress with not having to keep looking in the rear view mirrow for blue lights. I believe the most dangerous part of the hunt is the road trip so be careful out there all of you. That all said it feels so GREAT to finally get into Elk country as you all well know! As hard and tough a thing it is to do I don't completly understand why I want to do it again? But I do! Best as I can tell it's because it's not just a hunt, it's an adventure and more.
 
maninthemaze said:
Can't you get a ticket on the Kansas Turnpike for excessive speeding? If I remember correctly, there is a time stamp on the toll booth ticket that you get when you get on the turnpike. Then its turned in, at the last exit.

I'll be leaving Kentucky on the 16th headed to Montana. I64 to St. Louis, then I70 to KC, north to Nebraska, then west again right through Wyoming.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I know they use these stamps for "commercial vehicles" and will issue tickets off of them, I know, but never hear of it on a "personal vehicle". My experience did not include the Kansas Turnpike though..
 
Fellow sliders, if you are traveling along I-80 to or past Rawlins wy, drive the speed limit! Saw 9 state troopers all but 2 had people stopped!
 
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