I think that the survivors might want to make an intermediate stop somewhere in Colorado before they try the road to
Fort Irwin. I remember the road going west through the Rockys being treacherous and uncomfortable in the best of times, and doubly so in the winter. The survivors are going to need to stock up on supplies if they're going to attempt that trip, and especially if they want to save their helicopters.
Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora might be a good short-term stop. It's the home base for the Colorado National Guard, and it's where the Boulder
Blackhawk crew was based before Z-day, so it should be familiar to some of the survivors. It should have aviation fuel and helicopter parts,
MREs and ammo. However, it might be a little too close to the fallout zone for comfort.
The big prize would be Colorado Springs, which is south of the rendezvous point and well outside the fallout zone. It has a commercial airport, a major Air Force base (Peterson AFB), a major
Army base (Fort Carson), the Air Force Academy, which has its own airport, and the old NORAD (and Stargate) headquarters at Cheyenne Mountain. In many ways it's an even better enclave than Boulder, assuming it survived the initial zombie onslaught reasonably intact. Worst case, it might be a place to re-supply and rest before the evacuation, maybe aided by a new C-130 or two from Peterson and re-fueled helicopters. Best case, maybe a new safe haven.
Liam has a good point about the quality of fuel products the survivors might find along the way. Gasoline is subject to contamination and loses volitility over time. I've heard conflicting stories over how long it can be safely stored ranging from 1 year to as little as 30 days. Diesel fuel is more stable, with a recommended shelf life of 6-12 months, which I suspect can go longer. The survivors should be able to get through the winter on the fuel that's available, but eventually they're going to need a way to refine fuel for themselves.
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