Once I told a controller "moderate chop over Rollins Pass, smooth everywhere else" I later looked at the Pirep, somehow that got converted to "severe turbulence over Rollins"... Not really sure where the disconnect happened. Made me feel like a wuss though.
Haha no, they like to "over-report" in that pass. Mostly because taking passengers through that area is a barf inducing process for any pilot not used to what the actual definition of "moderate" means. They also have airlines descending right there, and if they come screaming down in the descent to that northwest "gate" for DEN, they're likely to bounce their FAs off of the ceiling.
The day I left here to go get the monkey there were PIREPs for moderate "west of BJC", and the winds aloft story matched. I knew I was going to get my butt kicked in Rollins/Corona and maybe have to execute a turn-around if the down drafts in that stupid rotor that always sets up behind the peak to the northwest of the pass were too much for the available power in the 182.
Downers of 1000-1200 fpm and rocking back and forth 30 degrees was pretty much what I expected, and got... plus continuous bumps. Right up until even with Eldora Ski Area.
I was 1000' of altitude from calling it quits, and heading back out to go around via Alamosa/ABQ, but it was just a time/speed/distance problem...would I be past Eldora before it stopped. The numbers held and right at Eldora it turned into the standard elevator ride up as the peak no longer blocked the laminar flow over the pass, and I ended up in a 2000 fpm upper with the engine at idle and as smooth as a baby's butt.
Wouldn't have taken a passenger with me on that route that day, at all. Not even my wife who's been out in unforecast and unplanned moderate. It's just not a comfortable ride at all, but it's not inherently "unsafe", at least at or below Va. Not kidding when I say I also cranked my seat all the way down and tightened my lap belt. I've gotten the bruise on the head from a headset hitting the overhead and it's not pleasant.
Since I was holding Vy and not going up for about two minutes, I wasn't too worried about having to slow up. I was watching for my "no-cross" altitude on the altimeter, which I was below but still had time to see if it could be made up before having to make the turn out and take the "out" down valley.
I can only credit that decision making process to having crossed that pass a bejillion times in "not quite that bad but still challenging" winds, in order to see how the mechanics of the airflow work in there.
Corona/Rollins is unique like all mountain passes. Give me similar forecasts at La Veta, and I'm not even sticking my nose in it. Too far to go with no "outs".
Not a fan of Loveland Pass at all in a light aircraft for a similar reason, the approach already has you in a position of zero outs unless you start miles away very high. Direction also counts...
The outs crossing Hagerman east to west are beautiful, everything is very downhill from basically a sheer cliff wall. Good thing, too... That's where the massive rotor is going to be with west to east prevailing winds. Just don't drive straight at the thing. West to east, you'd better have 1000 AGL before committing to that last 1/4 mile and be on your game to turn out immediately if a downer starts, or you'll be cutting it way too close and probably need to change underwear.
Well anyway, to the OP... Welcome to the "continuous moderate turbulence" club. It's annoying as heck when you're flying for "fun", but sometimes it happens, either despite of the best planning, or in my case, because of it.
After a while once you have a little of that and a lot of "continuous chop" in the logbook, you develop the ability to not notice it much. We took a friend up on a day that had a few moments of light chop in the climb out that ended only three or four minutes after departure and they remarked to Karen and I "how bumpy it was!" once. Karen and I both looked at each other and later after the friend had gone home I said, "So did you even notice any real turbulence?" "Nope. But I think it was a little bumpy after takeoff and I didn't notice it, but thinking about it we probably should have told her it would stop in a minute."
We both had a good chuckle about that. I think the last time we did a long XC we hit a few minutes of slightly harder than light bumps underneath some towering CU and Karen was more annoyed that she had to put her book away and stop reading than anything. Heh. She also remarked on a couple of flights when I was instrument current and we climbed out through a broken CU layer and got on top, "You should've told me it was smoother up here, I'd have told you to go get your instrument license sooner. Nice view, too."
LOL. She's not exactly shy about picking on my flying after all of these years.
Afterwards, you'll think roller coasters are so passé.
