Wild Trip to Denver and Back

April 15, 2011
By Cliff Chamberlin


What a wild trip this time. Left here this morning (Fri) at 1am for the train. Dumped my rain gauge with 1.15" of rain in it since 1pm Thur. This wind had been plenty all afternoon, gusting to 40 mph. By 1am, it ramped up another notch. The weather man forcasted gust to 55 mph. What ever it was was, was to darn much!

The train picked me up 50 minutes (3:30am) late, but lost another 85 mins on the way to Denver. The train was restricted to 50 mph instead of 79 mph due to the high winds and the high level 2 decker cars that we ride in. Better getting there than laying on our sides somewhere around a corner.

Headed home on I-76. Bright sunshine, 48-49* - but that darn wind blows in Colorado as well. Got to Sterling, CO - 125 miles towards home from Denver and the state closed I-76 to all Eastbound traffic (me) because Nebraska had 1-80 closed in Nebraska from N Platte to Sydney (150 miles) SNOW! So I got off like they forced all of the traffic to do. Headed around the corner thru Sterling and got on US 138. It is the old highway that parallels I-76 - about 2 miles apart.

US 138 took us to Julesberg - just like I-76 would. That highway was vacant of traffic. Why nobody else thaught of that idea is beyond me. Stayed on US 138 to Ogallala Nebraska. No wonder things were closed. Ogallala had 12" of snow on the sides of the roads. By the time we got there at 2pm, the road itself was bare and dry. Got gas in Ogallala and hoped back on I-80.

Lots of snow all the way to N Platte (50 miles from Ogallala), then ran out of it. They must have turned the I-76 traffic loose, as they caught up and was pushing hard to make up time.

We got home in one piece. 30 minutes more driving time than all interstate. Have a cold beer in my hand.

Had a total of 2.00" of rain since yesterday at 1pm. That ought to water some corn field for sure. The farmers said we were dry - not any more.

Glad to be home.

 

 

 

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