A Western Diary IV
Bill Long 6/20/05
From Hagerman (ID) to the Wyoming Border
After learning some of the details of Equus simplicidens and the importance of the Hagerman Fossil Beds, I drove to the highest point of the Monument, where I had a panoramic view both of the river right in front of me and also the rolling, dusty hills to the south. It struck me as I was standing there that there are at least five levels of life/history which I was privileged to glimpse from that spot. But even though "layers" of life were evident, I only had the briefest and smallest awareness of them. Let me illustrate by mentioning these various "levels."
1. First is the level of the various sediments themselves. The material I read said that sedimentologists posit a 500,000-600,000 year "development" (from about 3.7 to 3.1 million years ago) through close analysis of the layers in the rock cliffs. But what did those layers hold? What life teemed in the various tens of thousands of years to which the cliff bears mute wintess?
2. Then is the level of the Equus simplicidens itself. How is it that so many of these well-preserved skeletons were found at this time? Had they been overtaken by a flood or other natural disaster? Was this evidence of some large-scale climatic or geological change more than 3 million years ago?
3. Then, turning around and looking south, I saw the wagon ruts from the Oregon Trail pioneers from 1841-1861. The ruts are still preserved as the wagons tried, sometimes in vain, to climb the hills, some of which were covered in knee-high dust as one of the contemporary accounts has it. In those two decades more than 300,000 people made the trek from Independence, MO to Oregon City, OR. So, the furrowed tracks gives us a reminder of the hopes, dreams, mixed motives and desperate realities of a hardy band of pioneers.
4. Then there is the reality of modern hydroelectric power. Idaho Power is one of the true "powers" in the State today, and it is responsible for providing up to 140 kw of electricity a day to a variety of consumers. The once-proud Snake River has been "impounded" 19 times in its 1056 mile length. Like strong cords used to control a mythological beast, the dams eliminate or curtail the wild flow of the river.
5. Finally, just downstream, are many riverside houses of the "rich and famous" in Idaho. Behind every house I saw is a story of people, who have succeeded and failed, loved and lost, been healthy and sick, and have (with evident success) made a life for themselves in one of the arid regions of the Northwest.
Each of these levels beckoned to me, asking me to study it more closely, to see which secrets and messages of life it has to communicate. But I had no time, and I couldn't do it. Maybe my old colleague Dr. Abraham Terian was correct after all, that life is such a wonderfully-diverse and rich gift that all we get here in our (first) life is a "glimpse" into its surface riches.
A Few More Observations of the Trip
Instead of returning directly to I-84 to continue East, I decided to follow old Route 30 through Buhl and Twin Falls, before returning to I-84. I was glad I did. On the readerboard of the First Christian Church of Buhl was the following message: "If God had a wallet, would you be a picture in it?" There must be someone, somewhere, probably someplace in the Midwest, who spends his life dreaming up hokey messages for Church readerboards. One of my favorites, displayed at the Bistro in Willamette University is: "In Hell there is no time to 'stop, drop, and roll.'" Presumably you are incincerated instantly. Sure makes me want to attend THAT church.
Then, as I drove through Twin Falls to get back to I-84, I passed through about 3 or 4 of the ugliest miles of fast food restaurants, check cashing facilities, old bowling alleys and other indicia of contemporary American life. It rivaled for unsightliness the miles between Nampa and Caldwell on Cleveland Blvd. It made me wonder. There must be forces in Idaho who want their town planning to be as beautiful and arresting as the natural beauty of the state. It just seems that these forces don't have the upper hand.
The next two hours were uneventful, as I decided to drive all the way up to Idaho Falls and then take Highway 26 from that town into Wyoming. I didn't stop in Idaho Falls, but I noticed a phenomeon that must have an explanation similar to the one I am about to give. As I passed through the town, the historic downtown was to my left and the railroad tracks to my right. Then, you come to a stoplight and off to the right, across the tracks, stands the public library and several fairly large churches. I drove around them and saw that the Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopal churches were "segregated" on the "other side" of the tracks. Why might this be so? I am not sure, but my thought is that Idaho Falls is a strong Mormon town, with more than 90% of its residents being LDS Christians. I would imagine that the "real life" of the town happened West of the railroad tracks, where the historic downtown was located. But, they had to allow the "Gentiles" into the town, sooner or later. Where should the "Gentiles" have their congregations? Of course, on the other side of the tracks. This is all the more probable because of the pattern in the rest of the Western towns for these three denominations, in general, to have their churches located in the downtown area, near the State Capitol, or in other traditional areas of "influence." But just as the LDS believers are a minority in many areas (though they are increasingly becoming more and more of a force in all areas of the West), the "mainline" Protestants are a tiny minority in Idaho Falls. I wonder if they learn a lot from each other...
Conclusion
One of the prettiest drives of my trip to date was the last thirty miles in Idaho along Route 26 before arriving in Alpine, WY. You travel around the beautiful Palisades Reservoir, a Bureau of Reclamation project completed in 1957. Though I was informed by locals that the water level drops considerably when it is necessary for farming, at least on June 17 it appeared to be nearly full and terribly inviting.
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