Written by: Matthew Bolz-Weber, Blue Ride
The story is told that when Brigham Young first saw the Great Salt Lake valley, he looked out over what was then a barren, dry desert and declared, “This is the right place.” It’s also reported that he envisioned a fertile valley populated by people working the land in order to feed their families.
We’re still a couple cycling days north of Salt Lake City, but I thought of this story for most of today as we rode down the Snake River Valley today. We rode through beautiful and fertile farmland; we were surrounded much of the time by wheat and potato fields, with the occasional hayfield or herd of cattle to break up the wheat and potato monotony.
One of the things I know about life on this planet is that it’s impossible without the wind. If there were no wind, the air would be stagnent and stale, pollination of our food crops would be virtually impossible, and even the seas would likely be fetid and unmoving pools of filth. The wind, absolutely, is a blessing. And perhaps the wind that seems to blow regularly and persistently through the Snake River Valley has made a big contribution to the fertility and beauty of this place.
However, for the riders on the FCBA Summer 2016 Blue Ride, 80 miles of fighting a headwind was less than pleasant. But we’re in, safe and secure, and comfortable thanks to the hospitality of the First Baptist Church of Pocatello.
