West Gasoline IS STILL CHEAP for Rockdocking

[Ray Eklund]

This last trip gave me some better gas mileage statistics to share:
State Line, NV/UT on Hwy. 50/6 (Great Basin National Park/Lehmna Caves)
8.2mpg to the Lehman Cave building, campsite at $12 per night and to gas station at Baker, NV (cheaper than State Line). 29 miles/3.5 gallons

Crossing Rocky Mountains from Glenwood Springs, CO on I-70 East to Littleton, CO. 134 miles/11.5 gallons- 12.1mpg

Grand Junction, CO to Glenwood Springs, CO on I-70 going East. 88 miles/6.1 gallons- 14.4mpg.

With 3/4 fresh water, food and equipment.

Why some short stops... Wife needs to stop, now. Not sure where we will be going in the next hour and similar reasons. I would feel safe that the range of 10 to 14 miles per gallon pulling a full load is rather consistent. Off road on a gravel, steep and needing bushes cut back to travel while engine is idling will be in the 8 to 9mpg. So topping off before you get off the road is a MUST DO.

[Ray Eklund]

Returning today from a short back country camping trip I found gasoline in Cheyenne, Wyoming, today, June 22nd at $3.81 at Exxon and at the Lusk, Wyoming Outpost Truck Stop at $3.91 for Regular Unleaded. The price at the Outpost Truck Stop was less expensive than the Fresh Start gas station in Lusk, which is at a corner of two highways. And considering they were OUT OF ALL GRADES OF GASOLINE. A dozen or more bikers returning from an early to Sturgis, SD biker holiday were not too happy, nor the traffic backed up waiting to pull into the station and not knowing the crowd did not know what to do.

On the south side of Lusk there is a truck stop, so if you find yourself in the same situation, you now know where to go. If both stations are out of fuel and you are riding the bottom of your tank, just park, take a break and have a rest! Lusk, Wyoming is a cross road for Sturgis, SD biker traffic, so just park in town near the Exxon on the corner of Highways 20 and 85 for an interesting viewing of an annual migration... Look at is as some kind of bird watching experience. The kids will love it!

Pulling the 23 foot Safari with the 2008 Tundra we averaged a low of 10.5 miles per gallon, fully loaded with water for Rockdocking the Badlands to a high mileage return home from Cheyenne, WY at 12.8 mpg on this trip. Since we decided to get home early from SE Wyoming we ate dinner in Cheyenne while we drained the fresh water tank... and gained a bit on fuel mileage traveling at 65 to 70 mph on Interstate 25. I might have done better by keeping around 60 mph, but the traffic was light and roads in perfect condition... what can I say?

Crawford, Nebraska in the Nebraska Panhandle had Regular for $3.99 on June 14th and on a June 18th topping off the tank, $4.09. The smaller towns you WILL pay more, so top off before you get off the beaten path in this part of the country.

[safari 28]

Saudi Arabia just announced a third increase in production this year. Now with the Chinese increasing prices for domestic use, that volume will be down. Maybe both of these countries finally realized something. THEY NEED US!!