Travelogue: The word of the day is "detour"
Hit the road this morning from Evanston, WY, only to be confronted by signs that said I-80 closed from Laramie to Cheyenne. It was quite nice where we were so we weren't sure if it was weather-related or what. We kept driving.
A bit later we were confronted by signs saying that I-80 was closed from *Sinclair* to Cheyenne. W called her sister and had her check the internet for alternate routes, weather, etc. Should we wait it out in Rawlins/Sinclair? Should we go north to Cody? Should we go all the way up to 90 and come across South Dakota, or come back down to 80 on the eastern side of Cheyenne? Or should we cut down through Colorado? Through Steamboat Springs and Fort Collins? Or all the way down through Denver?
After a few hours of back and forth on the iPhone, we got ahold of the Colorado State Police who told us that the roads were fine down route 13 thru Craig and down to Rifle. However the roads through Steamboat Springs, over Rabbit Ear pass, were treacherous and there were reports of whiteouts thru Rabbit Ear Pass. I-70 thru Vail and into Denver was open and looked good, although it would be hours before we got there so it could change.
We stopped for lunch in Wamsutter, WY while we sorted out our options. We decided that going north was out as South Dakota was reporting blizzard conditions, and it was snowing throughout eastern WY. So we decided to go south through Craig down to Rifle, catch 70 there and go up thru Denver and continue on 76 back up to 80 in Nebraska.
That was the plan.
It was nice in Craig so we checked the conditions over Rabbit Ear Pass again and they still reported whiteouts, so on to Rifle we went! Colorado is much prettier than Wyoming, and the sun was out so we enjoyed the drive. Then we hit a section where the road was out and they were repairing it. It was down to one lane on a steep hill so we had to wait for the 18 wheelers to haul their asses up the hill before we could go down.
Eventually we got to Rifle where it was gorgeous. Got on 70. Immediately we saw signs that said I-70 eastbound was closed at mile marker 205. We were at 110. Oh, you've got to be kidding me!
A quick call to the state police confirmed the road was closed, but it was due to an accident in the tunnel, not weather. We decided to forge ahead. As we got closer, the signs still said the road was closed at exit 205. Damn. We scouted the proposed alternate routes, but the closest one was closed due to weather over Loveland Pass. The other two would take us another 3.5-4.5 hours out of our way. We decided to wait it out at the last exit, and hope the tunnel was clear by morning. W had gotten online and saw a note that hazmat was involved, so we knew it might be dicey.
We got within a mile of exit 205 and the traffic stopped. Damn, we couldn't even get off the highway! After sitting for 20 minutes, the traffic started moving and the sign at the bottom of the hill, next to the exit said 70 eastbound now open to tunnel. Sweeet!!!
It was slow going with traffic up the steep incline to the tunnel, but we made it and are now on the east side of Denver at Sterling, CO, where there is apparently a state penitentiary. What luck. :-(
We won't be in Chicago tomorrow as we had hoped, but should be there early Sunday, so we're still on schedule for checking in Sunday night. It was one helluva day, with lots of ups and downs, and it wasn't always pretty, but we made it thru.
A bit later we were confronted by signs saying that I-80 was closed from *Sinclair* to Cheyenne. W called her sister and had her check the internet for alternate routes, weather, etc. Should we wait it out in Rawlins/Sinclair? Should we go north to Cody? Should we go all the way up to 90 and come across South Dakota, or come back down to 80 on the eastern side of Cheyenne? Or should we cut down through Colorado? Through Steamboat Springs and Fort Collins? Or all the way down through Denver?
After a few hours of back and forth on the iPhone, we got ahold of the Colorado State Police who told us that the roads were fine down route 13 thru Craig and down to Rifle. However the roads through Steamboat Springs, over Rabbit Ear pass, were treacherous and there were reports of whiteouts thru Rabbit Ear Pass. I-70 thru Vail and into Denver was open and looked good, although it would be hours before we got there so it could change.
We stopped for lunch in Wamsutter, WY while we sorted out our options. We decided that going north was out as South Dakota was reporting blizzard conditions, and it was snowing throughout eastern WY. So we decided to go south through Craig down to Rifle, catch 70 there and go up thru Denver and continue on 76 back up to 80 in Nebraska.
That was the plan.
It was nice in Craig so we checked the conditions over Rabbit Ear Pass again and they still reported whiteouts, so on to Rifle we went! Colorado is much prettier than Wyoming, and the sun was out so we enjoyed the drive. Then we hit a section where the road was out and they were repairing it. It was down to one lane on a steep hill so we had to wait for the 18 wheelers to haul their asses up the hill before we could go down.
Eventually we got to Rifle where it was gorgeous. Got on 70. Immediately we saw signs that said I-70 eastbound was closed at mile marker 205. We were at 110. Oh, you've got to be kidding me!
A quick call to the state police confirmed the road was closed, but it was due to an accident in the tunnel, not weather. We decided to forge ahead. As we got closer, the signs still said the road was closed at exit 205. Damn. We scouted the proposed alternate routes, but the closest one was closed due to weather over Loveland Pass. The other two would take us another 3.5-4.5 hours out of our way. We decided to wait it out at the last exit, and hope the tunnel was clear by morning. W had gotten online and saw a note that hazmat was involved, so we knew it might be dicey.
We got within a mile of exit 205 and the traffic stopped. Damn, we couldn't even get off the highway! After sitting for 20 minutes, the traffic started moving and the sign at the bottom of the hill, next to the exit said 70 eastbound now open to tunnel. Sweeet!!!
It was slow going with traffic up the steep incline to the tunnel, but we made it and are now on the east side of Denver at Sterling, CO, where there is apparently a state penitentiary. What luck. :-(
We won't be in Chicago tomorrow as we had hoped, but should be there early Sunday, so we're still on schedule for checking in Sunday night. It was one helluva day, with lots of ups and downs, and it wasn't always pretty, but we made it thru.