Was Idaho Truly The Holy Land Of Bike Touring?

I can't claim the state is THE holy land of bike touring, but it proved to be ONE of the holy lands.  In my lifetime I've discovered there are many holy lands, and they are wherever I am biking or hiking or backpacking at the time.  It took many years for me to realize that there are no really boring places.  I've come to see holiness everywhere I go.

So yes, Idaho was holy--as in:

• Holy mackerel, Idaho has a nice stretch of Snake River Canyon and an incredible road that climbs out of it.
• Holy smokes, Idaho has a lot of wheat.
• Holy Toledo, Idaho has a lot of deer.
• Holy Cow, Idaho has a lot of wild turkeys.
• Holy Catfish, Idaho has a lot of trees (and lumber mills and logging trucks.)
• Holy wah, Idaho has some beautiful mountain scenery.
• Holy moley, Idaho has some beautiful lakes.
• Holy Macaroni, Idaho has some fine state parks.
• Holy crap, Idaho has a serious Covid problem.

• Holy pasteurization process, Idaho has some overly touristy towns.

Yet, despite all that Idaho holiness, I think the first three days of my tour were the best--and they were all in the state of Washington.  I guess that makes Washington holy too.

To me, holiness is all about appreciating the natural world.  I don't think I have to explain that concept to any of you bike touring people.  As far as I'm concerned, if you've ever peed in the woods, the desert, a cornfield, or on the side of the road, then you are an official member of the The Church of the Great Outdoors.

Wildlife

One of my favorite things about being outdoors is observing wildlife.  On this trip I saw many, many deer.  They were the largest animals I saw.  I also saw a large variety of birds, especially wild turkeys and hawks.  As much as I like deer and wild turkeys and hawks, they're things I can see in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area any time.  The magpies were something I don't see at home, but  I was hoping to see some large mammals--like a bear, a wolf,  a mountain lion, or a moose.

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Mike AylingLooks like a giraffe!
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3 years ago

Gregory GarceauTo Mike AylingColor me embarrassed! I must correct that right now. Thanks.
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I won't complain about common birds though.  Nor will I discount my luck in being able to capture cool videos of a red-headed woodpecker and a crazy crow.  I do wish I could have found that early morning honker in Heyburn State Park though.  I would have traded honks with it for as long as it took to get him on video. 

Regarding The End Of A Tour

I always feel kind of melancholy at the end of a bike tour, but it could be worse.  For many years, when hiking and backpacking was my gig, I'd get a worse sense of sadness after a week in the wilderness.  In addition to the melancholy, I'd get a sense of dread at having to go back to work the next day.

Now I'm retired.  I'm the luckiest man I know.  I have no dread in going back to my daily routine of local bike rides.  And very soon I'll be able to start planning my six-year walk around the world.  (I haven't cleared that with The Feeshko yet, so don't get too excited.)

Thank You

I know there are many other journals going on right now on Cycleblaze and I thank you for checking in on mine.  One of my favorite parts of cycle touring is writing about it at the end of the day.  I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about what I'm going to write while I'm biking, and then I put it in writing when I get to a campsite or motel.  It's fun!  I know not everybody is entertained by--or learns from--my journal but I'm happier than hell if ten people read what I write.  As long as I have evidence that I've achieved that modest goal, I'll keep doing it.

I thank everyone for your comments.  I try to respond to everybody at least once.  Also, thanks for all the "HEARTS" you gave me.  I don't deserve them, but it's still an ego-booster.

Finally, on behalf of my team--The Reckless Mr. Bing Bong, G-2 and Mike the Tent--I wish you a good day and good touring.