West - Driving Portland to Boise in May - Issues?

I don't know what the route is like, so...

Does this get into any serious altitude? I'm mostly worried about a late season snow. I'm more than used to driving in snow, but having been caught in a mountain storm once many years ago, I think I'd like to avoid another.

I'm still working out the details, but it appears it will be either the first week of May, or the last.

Thanks.

You're going to be on I-84 the whole way and the chances of a (very) late storm in May are pretty slim. Not impossible, but pretty slim. It's 430 miles, or about 7 1/2 hours of drive time. Have fun!

Thanks BLI, I can live with slim :).

I saw it ran along the Columbia River for about half the run, wasn't too sure what was between the turn and Boise. Visiting Boise is more important than Portland for us, but flying to Boise is more of a pain.

There are pretty regular flights on AS (actually Horizon) between PDX and BOI. If you have the time, the drive is beautiful, but flying is not much of a hassle and much faster.

There are pretty regular flights on AS (actually Horizon) between PDX and BOI. If you have the time, the drive is beautiful, but flying is not much of a hassle and much faster.

I know that this next statement may be sacrilege on a website called flyertalk, but frankly, I detest flying with all my heart and soul. My drive vs. fly radius is at least 10 hours, more if I'll have to rent a car at my destination, maybe less if I can get a direct flight.

As long as I don't hit a major mountain snowstorm, I'll be quite happy driving :)

I agree that a snow problem is very unlikely, and that it's a beautiful drive. In particular, stop at Multnomah Falls if you have a chance. It's right off of I84.

Visit www.tripcheck.com before you leave. It is ODOT's site for road conditions (including accidents) and is very accurate. I currently drive I-84 a lot with work and it has never failed me. It is updates frequently throughout the day if conditions are changing.

Thanks for the tips. As per usual, it turns out that I wasn't given all of the info that was releveant before I started planning. Now it looks like it's going to be Seattle to Boise, then to Portland...

I'm guessing it's all about the same for weather conditions, and it will most likely be the third week in May.

Thanks again!

Seattle to Boise may be a bit more problematic insofar as snow is concerned, if you take the direct route over the Cascades. I would definitely check in advance, and if necessary think about taking the long way via PDX.

Seattle to Boise may be a bit more problematic insofar as snow is concerned,

If you're speaking of taking I-90, I travel over this part of the Cascades regularly and I don't think this is really going to be an issue in late May. It could be, but it's pretty unlikely.

If you're speaking of taking I-90, I travel over this part of the Cascades regularly and I don't think this is really going to be an issue in late May. It could be, but it's pretty unlikely.

+1

Late May will have a very low chance of any snow in the Blues or the Wallowas.

Be sure to stop at Multnomah Falls or any of the other falls in the Columbia River Gorge. You can detour to most of them on the Columbia River Highway that parallels I-84. Multnomah has an exit and parking on the interstate.

Once you clear the Gorge you will be entering mostly high desert. Interesting if you are from Rochester, NY and completely different from Western Oregon which is green, lush and has big trees. The Eastern desert is sage and tumbleweeds, electric generating windmills, lodgepole pines and scrub other than the irrrigated wheat fields. Once you leave the Pendleton area you climb up to high table land which is the section in the Blue Mountains. Think of a western film starring John Wayne and you will understand the topography.

Please enjoy the trip, although I find that it can become boring. Beware that the speed limit is a ridiculously low 65 mph. in Oregon.

Late May will have a very low chance of any snow in the Blues or the Wallowas.

Be sure to stop at Multnomah Falls or any of the other falls in the Columbia River Gorge. You can detour to most of them on the Columbia River Highway that parallels I-84. Multnomah has an exit and parking on the interstate.

Once you clear the Gorge you will be entering mostly high desert. Interesting if you are from Rochester, NY and completely different from Western Oregon which is green, lush and has big trees. The Eastern desert is sage and tumbleweeds, electric generating windmills, lodgepole pines and scrub other than the irrrigated wheat fields. Once you leave the Pendleton area you climb up to high table land which is the section in the Blue Mountains. Think of a western film starring John Wayne and you will understand the topography.

Please enjoy the trip, although I find that it can become boring. Beware that the speed limit is a ridiculously low 65 mph. in Oregon.

Speed limit throughout the northeast is 65, no problems there. And, given my druthers, I'd much rather be on the Colorado Plateau in SE Utah, so I'm looking forward to some high desert. We haven't been there since '06, sadly.

I'll keep a lookout, and try to allot time for, some of the falls mentioned. We'll be staying near/on the Columbia a little later on the trip in Skamokawa for a couple of days, though if I recall correctly there aren't even any rapids on the Columbia down there (at least I think so, we steamed up the Columbia to Portland for the Rose Festival in 86? 85? I can't remember my Navy days...)

I think that perhaps you are thinking of Skamania Lodge which many people enjoy. It is on the Washington side of the gorge off Highway 14. No, there are no longer falls on the Columbia since they were covered by water when the Corps of Engineers built the hydro-electric dam system.

BTW: The U.S. whitewater kayaking team practices near Skamania. The river, not the Columbia, has been the site of races during the X-games.

I think that perhaps you are thinking of Skamania Lodge which many people enjoy. It is on the Washington side of the gorge off Highway 14. No, there are no longer falls on the Columbia since they were covered by water when the Corps of Engineers built the hydro-electric dam system.

BTW: The U.S. whitewater kayaking team practices near Skamania. The river, not the Columbia, has been the site of races during the X-games.

Nope, my wife's cousin has a B&B in Skamokawa, so we're visiting with them. I think the confusion lies in the title (my fault) - this is a separate part of the trip (right now it looks like SEA/BOI/Skamokowa/SEA). So I get to do those passes twice...

Stayed in a forest service lookout tower near Strawberry Mtn in Eastern Oregon over Memorial Day several years ago. Day 1 was sunny with a herd of wild horses off in the distance. The next night it snowed 4" with 60 mph winds rocking the tower. So it can snow. Be prepared just in case.