Stop 46, Rock Springs

We hadn't planned to travel to Rock Springs a few days later, but heavy thunderstorms were forecast for Pinedale for the next several days.  We were even warned of them by some forest service workers who were doing trail maintenance on the Polk Creek Trail.  9000 feet of altitude is not a fun place to ride out severe weather.  You can get some really nasty hail at that elevation.

We awoke to news this morning that rebel activity near Lalibela, Ethiopia had closed down the airport where my brother Tim was attempting to fly from.  Travel overland is rumored to be even more perilous.  Of course, we have no idea of the real situation, but the result is that Tim is stuck at his hotel with no means of travel.  There is no word of any fighting, etc in the town.  So we spent the morning at the library in Rock Springs trying to contact the Embassy staff in Addis Abeba.  I finally got through, but I must have reached a security guard.  He attempted to contact the duty officer, but I was told that I would need to call back during business hours the next day.  I was under the impression that these were 24 hour a day services offered to protect Americans overseas.  I was apparently, like Rick from the movie Casablanca, misinformed.  So, I'l. be up at 2 AM, EST to try and see if they can be of any help.

Meanwhile, I got my oil changed in Rock Springs.  You know it's a long road trip that even with 10,000 miles between oil changes, you still need a change half way through your trip.  I'm also going to try and get a couple of prescriptions refilled, a first for me while traveling. 

To make matters even more fun, I dropped my phone and not only cracked the glass, but apparently breeched the membrane around the touch screen working fluid for now, about 2/3 of the screen is an opaque purple, making the phone inoperable.  I've reordered a new one that I'll pick up in Denver next week.

On a very positive note, we talked with Miles yesterday.  He's made it to Hartford and is gushing with praise for the Merritt Parkway and the excellent array of ethnic food restaurants in town.  He swung by the branch library where he will work and met his boss.  Now he's just trying to close the deal on housing.

We grabbed a room at the Hampton Inn and later today will go see the Barbie move.