In ba.transportation George Grapman wrote:
> larry_scholnick@yahoo.com wrote:
>> kkt wrote:
>>> George Grapman writes:
>>>
>>>> You want dreary, try I-80 in Nebraska
>>> Been there, done that. Wyoming was a beautiful, though.
>>>
>>> -- Patrick
>>
>> What I especially liked about I-80 in Wyoming was crossing the
>> Continental Divide TWICE.
>>
>> I'm not sure how that works but there were two separate crossings at
>> least 15 miles apart.
>>
> http://www.rockymountainroads.com/i-080h_wy.html
> Culminating a long journey from the Eastern Continental Divide near
> Exit 111 in Pennsylvania, Interstate 80 reaches the first crossing of
> the Western Continental Divide. The Western Continental Divide splits
> into two branches in western Carbon County and merge back together near
> South Pass in southwestern Fremont County. Unlike other western
> Interstates, Interstate 80 crosses the Continental Divide twice, once
> here at Milepost 206 and again at Milepost 158. The area between the two
> divides is known as the Great Divide Basin. In this basin, all
> precipitation that lands within the basin stays within the basin. East
> of the Continental Divide, all precipitation runoff drains toward the
> Atlantic Ocean. West of Continental Divide, all precipitation runoff
> flows toward the Pacific Ocean. Photo taken 09/06/05.
It would seem that if you cross the Continental Divide twice,
you would be on the same side you started, which sort of defeats
the purpose. But the above explains it...the Divide splits, with
the section between not draining to an ocean at all.
Needless to say, the pioneer wagon trains were not eager to
go uphill, then downhill, then uphill again, and then downhill
again. So they avoided the Continental Divide Basin, going north
of it along the Sweetwater River and crossing the Divide (only
once) at South Pass, which is quite flat, not at all what you
would imagine the Divide looks like.
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