Hey Joe here from New Jersey. I'm driving out to Keystone in a few weeks to visit a friend of mine. :D I'm just wondering how much the altitude is going to affect my E. I know it's going to loose some of HP, just how much? Also, any insight about the stretch of RT 70 West from Denver to exit 205. (RT 6 Dillon/Sliverthorne) would be greatly appreciated. I just put on a set of Firestone Winterforce tires, and the rest of the car is 100%. I'm really excited to go and would just like to gather all of the info I can before I leave. Thanks a lot!

Have a set of chains. Some times after you pass the Eisenhower Tunnel (almost 80% of the time really) it is snowing. And if it is snowing real badly they will put the chain law in to effect. Even if you have winter tires you still have to have chains to drive over Loveland Pass under that law. Your HP loss will be minimal but you might notice it down shifting on hills a lot more than normal, as such you will lose MPG. Otherwise have a great time in Keystone. There is an outlet mall in Silverthorne/Dillon for your wife to shop at and the river runs right through Silverthorne as well if you like to do a little Fly Fishing. And of course you have skiing. Keystone, A-basin, Cooper, Breckenridge, Vail, Beaver Creek, Copper, Winter Park, Mary Jane are all within 1hr drive from Dillon/Silverthorne area. Some are only 5 minuets away.

I was under the impression that if I stayed on Rt. 70 west past the Eisenhower Tunnel and got off at exit 205 that I wouldn't have to go over Loveland Pass to get to Keystone. Should I still get the chains anyway?

You're right. There's no need to drive on Loveland pass. Your Element will be fine. Have fun!

This link explains the chain law for non-commercial vehicles.
http://www.cotrip.org/winterdriving/chainregs1.htm

The below quote is from the section explaining when the road conditions call for chains only.

When this level is in effect, use of conventional, steel-link chains is required. Four-wheel drive vehicles are permitted to operate without tire chains when four wheel drive is engaged.

Since your Element is AWD you will be fine. Until I burned out on skiing I drove up the hill every weekend for several winters.

Depending on how fast you want to climb the hill will effect how much you shift down to 4th. I've gotten 4 people and all our gear for camping past the tunnel no problem and I drive too fast (ask my wife). I usually get between 20 and 22 mpg fully loaded up the hill. With the new set of tires you should be fine!

I thought part of Loveland pass did go through Eisenhower? I'm sorry if I have given out wrong info. I normally go up HY-24 to Co-9 to get to Eagle and Summit Counties. I hate going through Denver. Now I have been in a 4wd truck and was pulled over and told to have chains. So this might have change that you don’t need them in an AWD/4wd car or truck.

I have lived in Colorado for 24 years and I have only gotten stuck when they closed 1-70 once and then it re-opened about 6 hours later. If you are driving on a weekday you should have no problems, if you are driving on a weekend it can be a nightmare. CDOT does a great job of plowing the roads and the only times it has gotten bad is when there is so much traffic that the plows can not get through.

Have a great trip!

Thanks for all of the info guys! Yea I will be driving from Denver to Keystone on a Saturday, and theirs no way around that. But I did just pick up some SCC Tire Cables to be safe. Now their should be nothing stopping me! :D

My advice to avoid stop and go traffic is to be on 70 after Denver by 6am or wait until after 9am. Stop and go up the hill is a pain in the arse. It's a mad rush in the morning with all of the weekend skiers.

Go to the Coors brewery :D

My advice to avoid stop and go traffic is to be on 70 after Denver by 6am or wait until after 9am. Stop and go up the hill is a pain in the arse. It's a mad rush in the morning with all of the weekend skiers.

That's a very good point. We are not going to be skiing on Saturday anyway, so we can just wait till after the traffic to leave.

So I leave for Colorado tomorrow morning and should be arriving Friday evening at some point. Be on the look out for a silver E with New Jersey tags :D

Got back from the trip a few weeks ago. Everything went great, and the E held up like a champ!

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j88/SoMuchTwoSay/188-1.jpg