Roads in SE Alberta

[mac1983]

Not to familiar with the roads down there, will be down there in a few days and wondering if Secondary 501 at Milk River to hwy 41 is a good road this time of year and how long a drive it would be to Medicine Hat? Or would it be better to go up to Foremost and over to the Hat?

[ram crazy]

Going from milk river to med hat if you take the 501 over to the 879 and up to Foremost it’s a way better route as it’s all pavement. Then carry on up to bow island to hiway 3 and straight into med hat.

[omega50]

Guess it depends on the nature of your trip and how much scenery you are looking for.
I usually divert at Coffin Bridge Road and eat some Saturday Sausage with the Hoots
Then continue on to Writing on Stone at the 500 and then letting my mood set the rest of the route. I am in love with that country so likely would end up in the Pinhorn and then scoot over to the 41 and spend some time in Cypress Hills for lunch.
Probably 6 hours if I took my route with stops.

But Ram Crazy has good advice if pavement and speed is what you seek.

[mac1983]

Originally Posted by omega50

Guess it depends on the nature of your trip and how much scenery you are looking for.
I usually divert at Coffin Bridge Road and eat some Saturday Sausage with the Hoots
Then continue on to Writing on Stone at the 500 and then letting my mood set the rest of the route. I am in love with that country so likely would end up in the Pinhorn and then scoot over to the 41 and spend some time in Cypress Hills for lunch.
Probably 6 hours if I took my route with stops.

But Ram Crazy has good advice if pavement and speed is what you seek.

Can you get over to 41 on the south side of the milk river from the 500 road? Not in a big hurry just got a couple days to see some new country after some business in Lethbridge.

[spoiledsaskhunter]

you'll work yourself into a dead end if you go too far east. the last bridge across the river crosses the milk not too far east of the ross ranch. go further than that and you'll have to back track out of the pinhorn.

[ram crazy]

Originally Posted by mac1983

Can you get over to 41 on the south side of the milk river from the 500 road? Not in a big hurry just got a couple days to see some new country after some business in Lethbridge.

No! If you stay on the 501 to hit the 41 you will be doing some major backtracking to get to med hat and you better have lots of fuel. The 500 dead ends. No road on the south side of the river.

[spoiledsaskhunter]

Originally Posted by spoiledsaskhunter

you'll work yourself into a dead end if you go too far east. the last bridge across the river crosses the milk not too far east of the ross ranch. go further than that and you'll have to back track out of the pinhorn.

my bad.......should have said that bridge is WEST of ross' ranch!

[urban rednek]

Sightseeing tour? Have time to backtrack if necessary? Google map shows 500 east to 880 north to 501, then east to 41 as viable gravel road. If your fuel is holding out, instead of 501 north at the T, take RR 63 south to TWP22 east, past Onefour to Hwy 41.
It is relatively dry down in that country, so unless a storm hits before you get there, it should be OK. 511.ca highway cameras to the north and east of this route show more bare ground than snow cover.
Pack a lunch, enjoy the view.

[ram crazy]

Roads were greasy yesterday. Not much to see down there but bald at prairie

[mac1983]

Sightseeing tour? Have time to backtrack if necessary? Google map shows 500 east to 880 north to 501, then east to 41 as viable gravel road. If your fuel is holding out, instead of 501 north at the T, take RR 63 south to TWP22 east, past Onefour to Hwy 41.
It is relatively dry down in that country, so unless a storm hits before you get there, it should be OK. 511 highway cameras to the north and east of this route show more bare ground than snow cover.
Pack a lunch, enjoy the view.

That's one route i was looking at,curious if that would be a day trip from Milk River to Med Hat. I do run off of a tidy tank so fuel not an issue.


Roads were greasy yesterday. Not much to see down there but bald at prairie

Do they maintain those gravel roads down there in the winter, like the 501 and the roads across one four to Hwy 41? Was thinking about coming back up north through Cypress Hills as I haven't been there. But that could be another trip if those roads are bad. Not interested in beating my truck up for nothing though.

[urban rednek]

If that route is dry, or frozen hard, it is only a couple hours of gravel at 80km/hr. Add the pavement time at both ends and it looks likes 3- 4 hours of driving time. Stopping to glass speed goats or monster Muleys could turn it into a day trip. I would guess there is a decent level of road maintenance along this route since there is the occasional farm or oilfield office along the way.
I would be interested in a better perspective on "greasy roads" when compared to Grand Prairie gumbo. IMO greasy could mean anything from impassable to 60km/hr without context.

[mac1983]

Originally Posted by urban rednek

If that route is dry, or frozen hard, it is only a couple hours of gravel at 80km/hr. Add the pavement time at both ends and it looks likes 3- 4 hours of driving time. Stopping to glass speed goats or monster Muleys could turn it into a day trip. I would guess there is a decent level of road maintenance along this route since there is the occasional farm or oilfield office along the way.
I would be interested in a better perspective on "greasy roads" when compared to Grand Prairie gumbo. IMO greasy could mean anything from impassable to 60km/hr without context.

lol, made many miles on GP gumbo, that's greasy. Been on alot of oil patch roads from Estevan to Ft. Nelson so i've seen bad roads. So if that's only a couple of hours on gravel maybe not so bad. Definately will be doing some glassing.

[6.5 shooter]

Originally Posted by ram crazy

Roads were greasy yesterday. Not much to see down there but bald at prairie

Ya totally empty....75 mulies, a 100 or so antelope, a snowy owl for good luck....no WT today but ya...barren empty country nothing to see here folks....