Hwy 60 to 260 to sedona in december

[markbo53]

Hey All,
I will be traveling from Austin to the west coast in December. My plan is to head through Roswell, NM from Austin and stop overnight in San Antonio, NM. from there I'm thinking about taking hwy 60 west to 260 into Sedona, Az. Has anyone traveled on either of these to roads, and if so are they safe and decent scenic drives? lots of steep grades. etc. Also, how is the weather in that area during the winter?
Or I could take I-10 all the way to Phoenix and then 17. However, I'm not a big fan of I-10, especially through El paso. Was looking for more scenic views.
Any info/help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Mark

[twogypsies]

They are safe and scenic drives however, best done in other seasons, not winter. There's a ski hill on 260 at Pinetop if that gives you an indication. There's also a ski hill in Ruidoso, NM just west of Roswell.

Driving through ElPaso really is not bad if you can time it for a Sunday. Just get in a center lane and stay there. There are also a couple other ways around the city. One is taking 375 south of the city. You could get off I-10 farther east by taking 54 north out of Van Horn, TX to 180/62 and west to 375. We've done both. There's also a back way from 375 into New Mexico but we've not done that one.

If you're on I-10 in Arizona you could take Hwy 70 into Globe and then Hwy 60 into Apache Junction and pick up the 202 north (Red Mtn.Fwy) to 101 north to I-17. We've done that, too. Again, best to drive big cities on a Sunday - morning or around 5pm, if possible.

Coming through Apache Jct. you might stay at Lost Dutchman State Park - an absolute winner in terms of lovely huge sites and scenery! We've volunteered there and are partial.

For Sedona visiting, we also stay at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood. It's a half-hour drive into Sedona and a lot less hastle.

[markbo53]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

They are safe and scenic drives however, best done in other seasons, not winter. There's a ski hill on 260 at Pinetop if that gives you an indication. There's also a ski hill in Ruidoso, NM just west of Roswell.

Driving through ElPaso really is not bad if you can time it for a Sunday. Just get in a center lane and stay there. There are also a couple other ways around the city. One is taking 375 south of the city. You could get off I-10 farther east by taking 54 north out of Van Horn, TX to 180/62 and west to 375. We've done both. There's also a back way from 375 into New Mexico but we've not done that one.

If you're on I-10 in Arizona you could take Hwy 70 into Globe and then Hwy 60 into Apache Junction and pick up the 202 north (Red Mtn.Fwy) to 101 north to I-17. We've done that, too. Again, best to drive big cities on a Sunday - morning or around 5pm, if possible.

Coming through Apache Jct. you might stay at Lost Dutchman State Park - an absolute winner in terms of lovely huge sites and scenery! We've volunteered there and are partial.

For Sedona visiting, we also stay at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood. It's a half-hour drive into Sedona and a lot less hastle.

Thanks for the info. Just looking at the google map, I may do the I-10 to Deming, NM, stay overnight, then 70 north west to 188, to 260, to 17. depending on the weather. I can always just stay on I-10 to 17. I will do the 375 loop around El Paso to avoid the traffic.
Thanks again

Mark

[Scottybdivin]

Originally Posted by markbo53

Thanks for the info. Just looking at the google map, I may do the I-10 to Deming, NM, stay overnight, then 70 north west to 188, to 260, to 17. depending on the weather. I can always just stay on I-10 to 17. I will do the 375 loop around El Paso to avoid the traffic.
Thanks again

Mark

I've driven that exact route in reverse, coming back from Lake Powell. Payson is at 5K elev, and there's a pretty good hill climbing the Mogollan Escarpment. Then and you will gain a little more heading toward Pine and Strawberry. We stayed a few days in Payson in mid Nov and had a light snow from a winter storm. No accumulation on the roads. By the time we came down the Escarpment toward Roosevelt Lake, it was dry. The roads were fair to good the whole route a couple years ago. It is definitely more scenic than I-10 through Phoenix.

As far as El Paso, the loop 375 is a good alternative but there is one pretty good hill going through the pass at the Franklin Mountains. It's really no problem if you have good braking.