When Weather Strands you at Historic Elk Mountain Hotel

When traveling during the Winter Solstice on Interstate 80 in Wyoming, one has to be prepared for any weather delays. We left Utah and entered Wyoming at eight-thirty this morning and climbed to elevations exceeding seven-thousand feet. We drove through rain, sleet and snow, and wind gusts of 40 MPH.
We left inclement weather behind long enough to have a meal at the Hitching Post Restaurant in Green River. As we pulled out of the parking lot, snow began to fall and it was not long before we encountered the first of many vehicles that had left the road. We crossed the Continental Divide in near white-out conditions with white knuckles firmly clutching the steering wheel. We continued east and eventually pulled ahead of the storm long enough to make a bathroom stop at one of the many truck stops along the route. We got back on Interstate 80 only to see digital warnings of 50 MPH winds ahead, and once again, we were in white-out conditions. We broke into the clear long enough to be warned of 80 MPH wind gusts ahead. Snow blew across the road
In waves and I attempted to follow a semi in an attempt to stay on the road. The Semi cruised along with lights flashing, and still slipping in and out of view before finally disappearing altogether. At this point I was crawling along, trying to stay on a road I could not see, with my wife focused on the edge of the road markers and calling out: “left… more” and so on.With eighty miles of fuel remaining and still forty miles or so to Laramie, we pulled off the Interstate for fuel in Elk Mountain.
At the ConocoPhillips station, I filled the tank, shielding the spout with my body to prevent any moisture from entering the tank. I had to anchor my body against the fender to remain standing. Once full, I went inside the store seeking advice from the clerk and a Sheriff Deputy who walked in behind me.
And that my friends is the beginning of how we ended up, spending the night, locked inside the Historic (and haunted) Elk Mountain Hotel.
…. to be continued