Every winter guests fly into Denver, pick up a rental car and head for the mountains on tires that were never meant for snow. You can still make the trip safely. Here is what to know before you leave the airport, and what to do when you reach our driveway at Casa Vista Granby.
At the rental counter
- Ask for all wheel drive or four wheel drive
- Look at the tire sidewall. You want a mountain and snowflake symbol or M+S, with good tread
- Ask whether the rental contract allows chains or traction socks. Many do not, so ask before you buy any
What Colorado law requires
When the state activates the Passenger Vehicle Traction Law, which it does during storms on I 70 and can do on any state highway, your vehicle needs tires with at least 3/16 inch of tread that are winter or all weather rated, or you must carry chains or an approved traction device. In severe storms the Chain Law requires chains or a device on every vehicle. Fines start at about $130 and go above $650 if you block a lane. Check cotrip.org for conditions before you drive.
Driving Berthoud Pass
From Denver you take I 70 west to US 40, then climb Berthoud Pass to Winter Park and on to Granby. The pass tops out above 11,000 feet with tight switchbacks.
- Drive it in daylight if you can, and not during a storm if you have a choice
- Slow down before each curve, not in it
- Use a low gear going down instead of riding the brakes
- Leave far more room than you think you need
- If the pass closes, wait it out in Empire or Idaho Springs. It usually reopens within hours
Local roads
The valley roads between Winter Park, Fraser and Granby are plowed often, but side roads and neighborhood streets hold packed snow and ice all winter. Brake early and gently, and expect shaded corners to be slick even on a sunny day.
The driveway at Casa Vista Granby
The driveway is the part that catches people on all season tires. A few things make it easy:
- Come in from below. The driveway can be reached from the lower side, so you are driving uphill into it. Climbing is far more controllable than descending on tires without grip
- Use our chains. We keep snow chains at the house for guests. Fit them on the drive wheels on flat ground, drive forward a few feet, tighten them again, and keep your speed very low. Take them off before you return to bare pavement
- Or do not drive it at all. Park in a public lot in town and have someone in your group with proper snow tires shuttle people and bags to the house
- There is no street parking at Casa Vista Granby. Every car has to fit in the driveway or be left in a public lot in town
- If you get stuck, call or text us at (303) 506 4914 and we will send Wilbur, who looks after our houses locally
Worth packing
An ice scraper, gloves, a phone charger, water and a blanket in the car. You will probably never need them, and you will be glad of them if the pass closes while you are on it.