If you don't have electric clothing, GET SOME! It's impossible to describe how awesome electric clothing is...you can insulate all you want, but adding heat to your core is a whole different ballgame. General user note, you want the electric garment close to your skin and pretty snug...much snugger than you'd normally choose a vest or jacket.

http://www.aerostich.com/clothing/heate ... -electrics

Cam, Just be easy with your plans ( the only reason to make plans is so you can change them!), either you will be able to come north on the front range because the shit will be on the west side of the rocks, or you will be able to come up the backside of the rocks because the shit will be on the east side!
You will know the day you leave.
If you come up the east side you have a couple of options on the north end, following I90 west to Missoula (the pass just east of Bozeman can be a bitch some times!!) and then on over or turning north a bit and following the Clark Fork (IFR) to Sandpoint ( I have done this quite a few times when Mulan Pass was ugly.
The other route is to go on up to Helana and cut back through to Kalispell through the Glacier Park hiway, you can follow the rail road through
(IFRR) come on down to Libby, Follow the river to (IFR) to Bonners Ferry and then on to Priest River via Sand Point.
HardTail John is in Marion if you get weathered in in Kalispel, (Marion is just west) Not to long of drive to Curlew!
On the west side you can sometimes head North and come up the Valley to Missoula and catch the good weather in between east and west??
Remember it get dark early!
Lots of BCP Bums up either side!
If you get a chance, come on over to 82WN for lunch or coffee!
Have fun, be careful as we know you will be!!
GT

I took the trip from Moon City airport to Seattle during a January. Did it in two days.

Pretty much what you are looking at. Oak City area, on to Albuquerque. Stopped at Delta UT for fuel ( had a screaming tail wind from Alb.)

Nampa, ID, Walla Walla on in. I was blessed with good weather all the way to the Cascades.

Weather in Dec. Jan. can be a very mean opponent on that route.

Good luck.

TD

I appreciate everyone's input, but we decided to go commercial. Just bought the tickets.

With it being so close to Christmas, the trip out there didn't offer enough flexibility in the schedule as I wanted. LOTS of flexibility for the flight home though.

Cam,
Get a window seat and practice wx on the way out. Look for where you could have laid up. When you get in look at how soon you could have moved West again. With fast moving cold fronts, laying up close often works well. If alone and not worried about amenities, you can lay up close to the front so it will pass over you more quickly.
Contact

That was desert and mountain wx. If there is a stationary or occluded front in the Midwest, you won't see the ground until the high plains.