The Oregon Trail at Boise, ID

Unique circumstances have brought me to Boise this weekend. With the passing of my grandfather and the marriage of my sister only a few days apart, I felt to make the drive west to meet up with and support my family. With only a couple days before embarking on a 7 week excursion with my geology department, I am grateful for this small window of time to share with those I love.

Yesterday evening, my sister and her, now, husband showed us the area where he had proposed to her several months previous. A small trail on top of a cliff overlooking the Boise River as it flows northwest to the city center of Idaho's capital city - Boise. As we arrived at sunset I marveled at the colors that shone across the hills and canyon beyond. We have had a cool, rainy May so far which has allowed for bright green foliage to emerge across many of the normally dry hills.

This particular trail is unique as it connects with and preserves a small portion of the historic Oregon Trail! I pondered on the rich history of this trail and of those who walked it as I too traversed the terrain before me and read the signs detailing key stories of Idaho's modern settlers. Having experienced life changing events recently, and soon to embark on a long and arduous trip, I reflected on the fortitude of these early pioneers who left home in search of opportunity, freedom, prosperity, etc. Could I have done what they did?

Yes, this post isn't about East Idaho, but because Boise is only 4.5 hours away from our eastern Idaho mountain home, I'd like to include my experiences in nature here too. The Boise national forest is home to countless more trails, streams, lakes, and wildlife. As I drove here, I passed Sun Valley, the southern gate to the Sawtooth Mountains, and Solider Mountain, a large ski resort about an hour and a half from Boise. I drove through secluded mountain passes and gazed out upon acres of lava fields at Craters of the Moon. What would have taken pioneers several weeks to see, I passed by in luxury in half a day. We are truly blessed today, even with the state of the world now.

Enjoy the pictures from last night! I hope you can take the trip out west at least once to see what there is to see across all of Idaho. This state is called the Gem State, for good reason.