Days 86 & 87 – 9/28-9/29 – Caldwell, ID to Ontario, OR – 46 miles
How long can divisions flourish, can polarization mount, until the center can no longer hold and things fall apart? Perhaps we’ll have an answer before too long. Few current or former Republicans have paid as steep a price as David French for adopting a Never Trump stance. I recognize that critics could respond that his […]
Day 85 – 9/27 – Eagle to Caldwell, ID – 15 miles
As delightful as yesterday’s walk was, today’s was equally unpleasant. Early on, I was able to wind through some upscale residential neighborhoods, but as the day unfolded I increasingly had to resort to the major arterial heading westward towards Caldwell, which also happened to be the site of a good bit of construction and traffic. […]
Days 83 & 84 – 9/25-9/26 – Mountain Home to Boise to Eagle, ID – 63 miles
Of all the towns and cities I’ve passed through, Boise may embrace the literal Oregon Trail the most. Sure, many of the towns littered along the route have museums and pioneer-themed iconography sprinkled around, but the actual tracks followed by the pioneers are long gone, buried under tons of cement. By contrast, Boise preserves miles […]
Days 81 & 82 – 9/23-9/24 – Bliss to Mountain Home, ID – 53 miles
You’ll often hear people talking about the importance of getting off to a good start, and that’s certainly sound advice. Finishing well is a valuable skill in its own right, though, and it’s one that I’ve struggled to cultivate at many points in my life. As a student, I quickly learned that a strong fall […]
Day 80 – 9/22 – Jerome to Bliss, ID – 32.5 miles
Most of today’s walk carried me westward, north of both I84 and the Snake River valley, before finally turning north in Hagerman, just as the river made the same move. By day’s end, all three–my route, the river, and I84–would converge in the small town of Bliss. What stands out to me the most about […]
Day 79 – 9/21 – Tipperary Corner to Jerome, ID – 24 miles
If yesterday was in the running for the most boring day of the trip, today is on the shortlist for the best. That has nothing to do with the first third or the last third, both of which were fairly mundane road walking through close-cropped wheat fields, with a surprising amount of traffic whipping past […]
Day 78 – 9/20 – Burley to Tipperary Corner, ID – 31 miles
Most days, I get at least one offer of a ride. Perhaps half the time, I get two. Usually, I offer a thumbs up and a quick explanation of what I’m doing. Occasionally, this results in a conversation, as the people making the offer are friendly, curious, and excited to learn more. For the most […]
Days 76 & 77 – 9/18 & 9/19 – American Falls to Burley, ID – 64 miles
At what point does admirable stick-to-it-iveness transform into excessive stubbornness? Where is the line between those two? Pilgrims on the Camino love to advise people to “listen to your body,” and to not push too hard. Better to stop a little early and avoid injury than go too far and suffer the consequences. And fair […]
Day 75 – 9/17 – Pocatello to American Falls, ID – 24 miles
I was smug as could be, merrily skipping along the frontage road as I made my way westward through the gray morning. Despite all the dire weather projections, I had enjoyed a dry start to the day, cruising through the first ten miles free of concern. Looking back, I could see Pocatello suffering through a […]
Days 72-74 – 9/13-9/15 – Montpelier to Pocatello, ID – 94 miles
The terrain through southern Idaho makes me think of a hand, its fingers outstretched northward, each digit a hilly ridge, the gap in between the byproduct of a small river’s patient work. Wheat and hay, recently cropped and shining brightly in the late-summer sun, fill the valley floor, interspersed with nervous cows and rambunctious horses, […]