Blue Goose ~ Day 40

July 10, 2014 ~ Nampa, ID to McCammon, ID

Yes! There was a Starbucks in Nampa just down from the Walmart and after that stop I got on I84 and drove 75 mph for a long time, passing semis generally moving at 65-70 mph. Weirdly, the temperature, though it varied from 85 to 95 degrees, was not unpleasant even though the sun was out again after a few days of clouds. The van continued to get between 27 and 28 mpg. I was driving along the bottom of Idaho which is what? 4 times longer than the panhandle? which is the route I usually travel through this state, so it seemed a long day. I was still in the Snake River Valley most of the day under blue skies with clear dry air and distant horizons. I passed too many CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) wondering why anyone would choose to make a living this way and how they placate the neighbors. 

My destination was Minidoka NWR, where the Snake River is dammed to create Lake Walcott and give water to farmers. In fact, the refuge is in Lake Walcott SP. This was the first refuge that was unkempt around the exterior of the offices (but a cool mailbox).

Minidoka NWR - ID

Weeds in the parking lot, a air of neglect so unlike every other headquarters so far, and the doors were locked even though I arrived well before the closing time of 4 p.m. Lake Walcott is, of course, a reservoir and open to camping and fishing. Sprinklers were on “1 hour per day” to keep lawns green and park-like in this arid landscape. When not watered, the land is sage and light brown soil. I had to detour to get to this refuge but finally figured it out, driving by fields and over large canals and smaller ditches. It’s all about water here (and most other places in the west...perhaps all over the country). The dam allows people to farm because it subdues and manages the water making it available on demand. 

As I drove into the refuge headquarters, a family of killdeer was in the drive, the babies running about but not purposefully and the parents calling their distress. I very carefully avoiding running them over and they finally got into the safety zone of the weedy lawn. On the way out, they were back in the road again, so I repeated the careful slow driving as the parents called continually, while the adorable tiny killdeer ran hither and yon as fast as their tiny legs could carry them. 

I got to the river below the dam where there was a little stretch of wild white water that looked like a tributary. Many waterfowl, including White Pelicans, were hanging out there. I drove on, passing through Lava Hot Springs, a tourist attraction mainly consisting of brightly colored plastic and then through Pocatello to a Flying J Truck Stop near McCammon, ID. It was basically out in the sage just off I15. I ate at a nearby Subway and parked next to a white van with US Government plates. A nearly full moon rose to the southeast. It was warm but tolerable as the sun set behind the mountains in the west. Someone was trying to load or unload a vehicle from a trailer in the lot and having trouble. It sounded as though there were missing tire(s) and each time they tried something, there were loud screeching metal noises. And while I was half asleep, someone else was changing a tire one car away.  And periodically, there were announcements for the next hot shower: "Professional Driver #6, your shower #4 is available." Soon, I am going to try this option mid-week. 

I was tired from driving on the interstate most of the day and slept well.