Park and fly to sled spots?

Yaeger34 · Oct 17, 2018

Thinking a lot about parking my truck or getting a chitty old truck to park around Denver somewhere. Would be nice to fly from Minnesota in a couple hours and not have to do 14+ hours of stressful driving through blizzards putting your life at risk drives through the middle of the night. I picked Denver based on the fact that I can routinely get a flight on something like Delta for $115 to $220 all the time.

Figured from their I can do Winter Park, and past, maybe Rabbits Ear, Snowy Range, Even Wolf Creek is doable just to have more options based on snow fall. Couple things holding me back are snow isn't guaranteed. From MN it is 14-17 hours to snowy range, winter park, cooke, tog, island park. So I have options. And last year CO was terrible for snow.

Anyone have leads on where I could park a vehicle. Ideally I would like to meet someone cool who wants to ride with me and I can use their place for paid storage or sleeping, etc. Open to many options and thoughts. I just am really getting sick of the snowy drives that it almost made me quit last year.

Anyone else do this?

donbrown · Oct 17, 2018

Yaeger34 said:
Thinking a lot about parking my truck or getting a chitty old truck to park around Denver somewhere. Would be nice to fly from Minnesota in a couple hours and not have to do 14+ hours of stressful driving through blizzards putting your life at risk drives through the middle of the night. I picked Denver based on the fact that I can routinely get a flight on something like Delta for $115 to $220 all the time.

Figured from their I can do Winter Park, and past, maybe Rabbits Ear, Snowy Range, Even Wolf Creek is doable just to have more options based on snow fall. Couple things holding me back are snow isn't guaranteed. From MN it is 14-17 hours to snowy range, winter park, cooke, tog, island park. So I have options. And last year CO was terrible for snow.

Anyone have leads on where I could park a vehicle. Ideally I would like to meet someone cool who wants to ride with me and I can use their place for paid storage or sleeping, etc. Open to many options and thoughts. I just am really getting sick of the snowy drives that it almost made me quit last year.

Anyone else do this?

I have a shed 4 hours in the mountains from here for my toys. I have a truck up there to BUT the truck gets issues laying around up there. Suggest you get a rental and get renters insurance so not to deal with pulling up and have to deal with dead batteries, rodents stuffing nuts , crittters chewing the wiring etc.... Solar panel not charging , etc.

In bigger cities you can even rent a wreck

Texasron · Oct 17, 2018

HOW BOUT A TOY BOX AND CLUNKER TRUCK?

Hey, I have a 97 Silverado! Need a toybox Plus I need a sled but that's no problem. Where to park?? Main problem Leave sleds in it. Also, I see lots of in bed campers, N I C E Lance MFG at Rabbit Ears and Muddy Creek. How about an old Wilderness, cut a door in it for sleds.

gonehuntnpowder · Oct 17, 2018

I did exactly what you are talking about for several years. Very hard without dealer support and some friends i was fortunate to have a group of close friends that took care of me when I was there and my stuff when I wasn't. I kept my sleds in an enclosed trailer. Dealer would prep them every year. All my gear was checked as luggage my friends took care of the vehicle. I Would rent a car then swap with a friend and take his truck and leave him the rental. I was very fortunate

pauly815 · Oct 17, 2018

You need friends in a mountain town. Fly into Salt Lake and be riding in 45mins.

donbrown · Oct 17, 2018

pauly815 said:
You need friends in a mountain town. Fly into Salt Lake and be riding in 45mins.

Yep and I think Southwest airlines flies many many flights from SLC

Ride_The_Rockies · Oct 18, 2018

Get a small enclosed trailer and put your sled and gear in it. Store the trailer at a secure RV storage place close to the airport. Rent an SUV at the airport that will pull the trailer.

Blk88GT · Oct 18, 2018

I have been looking at doing this exact thing into Kelowna BC.

I haven't come up with a viable solution yet as I'm not crazy about leaving my truck/sled outside.

A friend of mine does it into Bozeman and has a storage locker directly beside the airport with 4 sleds and a truck with a deck. It works awesome for him, he flies out of Wisconsin.

Big D rmk700 · Oct 23, 2018

I rent a storage shed right in west yellowstone best thing I ever did leave sled right out west and can be there from my place in southern Mn in 14 hours. Last time I flew I was out there much faster with and the flight hasle

Blk88GT · Oct 23, 2018

Big D rmk700 said:
I rent a storage shed right in west yellowstone best thing I ever did leave sled right out west and can be there from my place in southern Mn in 14 hours. Last time I flew I was out there much faster with and the flight hasle

What do you pay for storage?

Braap Wraps · Oct 23, 2018

I moved out west from Elk River MN 7 years ago and Fly back and forth more then I care too. I know live in Laramie Wy.

When I lived in MN I looked into this many time and had a neighbor that did this.

He would leave a suburban at a friends house in Denver and a trailer at another friends house close to the mountain. Did it for a couple years and then stopped.

I can say that if you are heading to the snow range flying saves you about two hours of time if you had dry roads more if you did not.

By the time you figure transport to and from airport, get in early so you don't miss flight and so on it will not really save any time.

It will save you the trauma of driving the Trucker 500 of I80.

If you wanted to store a trailer in Laramie I know there are a couple places that do that type storage. If in Denver I would just google storage facilitates in Denver and surrounding area.

The only other problem you will run into is you have to ride with the same group people from MN every time. It's hard to bring new people when you fly for the simple reason it's hard to ship a sled.

Let me know if I can help any other way and I will do what I can.

Kyle

frntflp · Oct 23, 2018

I think about this concept all the time. Coming from MNPLS, I know exactly what you mean about the drive, routes, where is the snow, etc.

These was a guy here on SW last year that rented out trailer parking space in his back yard some place between Laramie and Centennial. Drive out on first trip, leave trailer and pick it up on the way through on each subsequent trip. Take home on the last trip. Still driving, but certainly easier without a trlr. Rent a 4x4 truck from the airport ...... ?

In the best set up - the truck with sled deck inside a north Denver storage location, or perhaps a rented garage space would also work. Uber from airport to the garage and go. Reliability of a vehicle that sits for a while could become an issue. Depends on how much you want to spend on the truck to ensure it will start. Won't take much before it's cost prohibitive.

I fly to Denver on a regular basis for work. Trucks are easy to get in spring summer and fall. Definitely pay a price for them in the winter due to demand. So not sure I can count on renting a truck or vehicle that can tow, and if I do it will be expensive.

Rental...U Haul rents standard cab long box trucks for $19.95 per day in most major markets... ? Nothing special but certainly gets the job done.

Love this concept, but haven't figured out the right way to do it....yet. "There has to be a way"

Braap Wraps · Oct 23, 2018

frntflp said:
I think about this concept all the time. Coming from MNPLS, I know exactly what you mean about the drive, routes, where is the snow, etc.

These was a guy here on SW last year that rented out trailer parking space in his back yard some place between Laramie and Centennial. Drive out on first trip, leave trailer and pick it up on the way through on each subsequent trip. Take home on the last trip. Still driving, but certainly easier without a trlr. Rent a 4x4 truck from the airport ...... ?

In the best set up - the truck with sled deck inside a north Denver storage location, or perhaps a rented garage space would also work. Uber from airport to the garage and go. Reliability of a vehicle that sits for a while could become an issue. Depends on how much you want to spend on the truck to ensure it will start. Won't take much before it's cost prohibitive.

I fly to Denver on a regular basis for work. Trucks are easy to get in spring summer and fall. Definitely pay a price for them in the winter due to demand. So not sure I can count on renting a truck or vehicle that can tow, and if I do it will be expensive.

Rental...U Haul rents standard cab long box trucks for $19.95 per day in most major markets... ? Nothing special but certainly gets the job done.

Love this concept, but haven't figured out the right way to do it....yet. "There has to be a way"

You could have a free place to park if you fly in and out of Laramie because parking at the airport is free. How ever it is not secure so I would be hard pressed to leave a trailer there for any amount of time. The increased cost to fly from Denver to Laramie is about $80-100 per person. Laramie only has flights in and out in the morning and late after noon.

newmy1 · Oct 23, 2018

I live in Omaha and have some thoughts.

1. In the past we've stored our trailers on a ranch next to Albany then I burn flight miles from work to fly roundtrip to Denver. $10 vs 150+ in fuel. Doesn't save a ton of time but surely is more fun than the 8 hr drive and cheaper.

2. Then given we like to ride out of Greenrock we started leaving our trailers in Laramie right off 130. Believe his name is Blazetrails on snowest. Or PM me for his number. $30 per month.

3. Guys I rode with in past left a truck at Laramie airport and flew own plane out but it's expensive and the weather is unpredictable for flying over the pass. I'm also not a big fan of single engine planes (single point of failure).

Now thinking of buying an older truck to leave out there hooked up to my trailer and go back to the roundtrip Denver flaying gig. Either way, leaving the trailer in Laramie saves a ton of fuel and headache.

XC500mod · Oct 23, 2018

Just a thought.

You can leave sleds at tog mountain lodge through the winter. Just throw a cover on. Fly into Jackson. If you do the winter package, it includes a free ride to and from Jackson hole airport to tog mountain lodge. It also includes food, lodging, and some drinks.

I’ve thought this out several times, I think it’s the easiest.

RanOutofTalent · Nov 15, 2018

XC500mod said:
Just a thought.

You can leave sleds at tog mountain lodge through the winter. Just throw a cover on. Fly into Jackson. If you do the winter package, it includes a free ride to and from Jackson hole airport to tog mountain lodge. It also includes food, lodging, and some drinks.

I’ve thought this out several times, I think it’s the easiest.

I have friends that do this. This works very well. A little expensive to stay at the lodge all the time but the way to go in the concept of convenience. The rental department will let you pull your sled in from time to time to let it thaw out or help you work on it for a heavily discounted price if your staying there often.

AZ800 · Nov 15, 2018

Agree, on the time thing. By the time you drive to airport, get there early, fly, get luggage, rental car and drive to your location, the break even on time is probably only a few hours less than your drive, but also waaay easier.

Only way I see this working well/conveniently/securely/economically is to find a buddy in Denver who don't care if you park it at his place, and ideally a good enough friend to pick u up at the airport.
Would also say it's only worth the hassle if you go 3x or more a year or don't have relief driver(s) going with you on the road trips.

The other option is ditch the midwest and bring the mountains to you. We subscribed to that plan almost 25 years ago. It was a good plan....

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Park and fly to sled spots?

Yaeger34

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donbrown

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Texasron

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gonehuntnpowder

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donbrown

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Ride_The_Rockies

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