Day 16: Logan to Preston, Idaho

May 23, 2022

Two days ago I emailed the Cache Valley Herald Journal newspaper, asking if they want to interview a guy named Wayne Estes who pedaled 500 miles to the Wayne Estes Center. They promptly replied that a reporter and photographer would be at the Wayne Estes Center at 10 AM on Monday. I arrived at exactly 10 AM, after puffing up several blocks of steep grades to the Utah State campus.

Photo of me arriving by Cache Valley Herald Journal photographer Eli Lucero.

The interview was in a conference room in the deserted building. The college intern reporter wisely included very few details about me. That's the best way to avoid mistakes. He didn't even mention my age. The article seems to allow one or two free views, then asks for a subscription.

Which Wayne Estes? Oregon cyclist pedals 500 miles, visits USU namesake's exhibit

Wayne Estes and I share something in common besides the name. We are both Aggies. The basketball player was a Utah State Aggie. The cyclist is a Texas A&M Aggie. The name is slang for agriculturist.

I spent a while looking at the exhibits in the lobby. They have changed a little bit since my visit by car 3 years ago. The Discipline card is new. I didn't know he was a late bloomer.

The exhibits have changed a bit since my previous visit. This is new.

Wayne Estes had an agreement to be a first round draft pick for the Los Angeles Lakers. Unfortunately he died in a freak accident only hours after scoring his 2001st point for Utah State. After the game he saw a terrible car wreck and stopped to help. The 6 foot 6 inch Wayne was electrocuted while walking under a low hanging power line that his shorter friends had just walked under. A promising career suddenly cut short.

I was 4 years old when Wayne Estes died. I learned about him when I was in my 30s by doing an Internet search for my name. I don't think we are related. None of my family members are that tall, and I have no relatives in this part of the country.

Wayne Estes Center is the practice facility for the men's and women's basketball teams. The left side of the building is two regulation size basketball courts. Retractable bleachers allow the big gym to also be the performance facility for the women's volleyball team. The 32,000 square foot building opened in 2015. I learned about the building in 2018 and visited it for the first time in 2019 on my way home from a bike tour in Colorado.

Wayne Estes Center on the campus of Utah State University.

Wayne Estes Center was buzzing with activity during my previous visit. A youth basketball clinic was ongoing in the gym. A hundred bouncing basketballs. Dozens of parents hanging around. Today the building is deserted. It houses some athletic department offices but nobody was around on this Monday morning in May. The gym was dark and barely visible through the lobby window.

Looking into the gym during my 2019 visit to Wayne Estes Center.

I got away from Wayne Estes Center at about 11 AM. Didn't really spend much time looking around the Utah State campus. It was a fun visit. I had a tailwind for a little while but the wind shifted to a northwest headwind in the afternoon. It was chilly. High of 60F. Stubbornly cool.

Just north of Logan I stopped for lunch at the Old Grist Mill Bistro. It was very busy, very good, and very cheap.

Looking southwest at the Wasatch Range while leaving Logan.

I got through Logan, North Logan, and Smithfield mostly on residential streets that parallel busy US 91. I only pedaled 5 miles on US 91 today, all with a wide shoulder but very loud traffic.

Nice Mormon house. In Smithfield I think. 5 columns in front is extremely rare. Everywhere in America it's always 4 columns for the 4 Gospels.

Canal in Smithfield coming down from the Bear River range.

Once past the towns I had nonstop views of irrigated farms. With the Wasatch Range receding to the southwest, and the Bear River range to the east.

Looking southwest across the Cache Valley towards the distant Wasatch Range.

Truck loading grain destined for a feedlot.

The Bear River is a large river but my first view of the river wasn't very impressive. Most of the water is diverted to canals that supply irrigated farms.

There is a house behind the irrigated grass and trees.

I enjoyed the farm scenes. The last several days have been mostly suburbia.

I stopped to look at the isolated little town of Lewiston. It's the last town in Utah that I will see. The Idaho state line is just a mile or two north of town.

My rural road had no sign indicating when I crossed into Idaho.

I am certain that this was never a city and never a cafe. I think it's in Idaho.

Today's destination is Preston, Idaho. Less than 5 miles into Idaho. Still very Mormon.

Ammon Bundy led the militia group that occupied Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. He's running as an independent because he's too extreme for Idaho's Nazi-leaning Republican party. He's the leader of the Mormon free range militia movement that doesn't recognize the legitimacy of the Federal government.

I arrived at the Plaza Motel at 4:20 PM. It has 10 rooms, the only motel in town. Dinner was from a Mexican food truck nearby. Preston is kind of a dreary town but it does have a supermarket. I must be spoiled after several nights in much bigger towns.

Today was so easy that it's a semi-rest day. That allows me to relax and go slow.

After a long string of seeing temples every day, I saw no temples today. I won't see another temple until the end of the tour in Pocatello.

Distance: 34 mi. (54 km)
Average Speed: 9.3 mph (14.9 km/h)
Ascent/Descent: +927/-637 ft. (+286/-194 m)
Miles 542-573 on the route map

Today's ride: 34 miles (55 km)
Total: 645 miles (1,038 km)

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marilyn swettWhat a cool connection to the "other Wayne Estes" !
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2 years ago

Kathleen JonesGreat story about the other Wayne. A lot to live up to!
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2 years ago