Escaping on our latest adventure out to Colorado found us traveling along the least preferred yet most expedient path possible, westbound on I-70. Heavy cloud cover lacking rain made for easy progress on this dreaded route. However, things would turn from this level of tolerably mundane to downright unnerving on the final leg.
The situation deteriorated dramatically after departing I-70 and settling into a southwesterly heading on KS-156, crossing the Smoky Hill River. Darkening skies were not just sign of sundown. A few brief sprinkles were the only warning just seconds before a deluge haunted us nearly all the way to the Great Bend in the Arkansas River.
Traversing that diagonal out of Ellsworth should have taken less than an hour. A harrowing experience of more than 90 minutes passed in typhoon-like conditions that reduced visibility to under 10 meters in a blinding wall of water. The torrent of rain, mist, and wash from oncoming traffic left us guessing at lane position with faded, sometimes non-existent markings.
We eventually arrived safely at our layover for evening, later than anticipated, though none the worse for wear with our formerly bug-splattered transport completely and utterly insect free.
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| Colorado Road Trip Part 1 of 9 |
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