I-D-A-H-O, I-da-ho, I-da-ho, Go-Go-Go

I took the scenic route from La Grande to Moscow, ID Saturday to see a football game played in quite possibly the most unique, and for sure the smallest Division 1A College Football stadium in the country. The Kibbie Dome is sort of the laughing stock of the NCAA Football community. Seating 18,000, it definitely does not seem to condone the normal Saturday football atmosphere on most campuses. Despite it's reputation, it has become a curiosity of my CFB-loving friends and I for a couple of years now, and I could not pass up a visit now that I was only 3 hours away. Besides, it is very difficult to come across Oregon or Boise St. tickets.

I was there to see the 25th-ranked Nevada Wolfpack and their pistol formation offensive machine led by QB Colin Kaepernick. Don't get me wrong, it was hard not to fall in love with the upstart Vandals of 2009 led by Nate Enderle at QB, but this year's version was not living up to the expectations set by their 43-42 OT win over Bowling Green in the Humanitarian Bowl. The game was a massacre from kick-off to finish. Nevada had three rushers with over 100 yds. and Kaepernick threw for over 300 yds. and 5 TDs. The final score was 63-17. I am not sure which was more impressive, Nevada's scoring attack or Idaho's dreadfully awful defense. If you look closely, you can see Idaho's Vandal doing battle with "Alphie", Nevada's mascot:

I took the same route home to La Grande. The drive consists of 3 ascents and descents between Oregon, Washington and Idaho that left my ears feeling like I was on an airplane. My ears have always been notorious for building pressure in airplanes and not wanting to release. The pain is awful, but I found alternative ways to release the pressure over the years. There were several stretches of road that warned of 25 m.p.h. for up to 9 miles. These roads have extreme inclines and declines along with constent hairpin turns. Sort of fun to drive, but wandering elks, mule deer, etc. were always on my mind. I saw several mule deer along the way, but they never posed a threat. Go to Google Earth or Mapquest and zoom in on WA-129 just North of the Oregon-Washington border. It is sort of funny to see from above.

The trip starts on OR-82 East to Enterprise, OR (home of Terminal Gravity Brewery). Then North on OR-3. OR-3 changes to WA-129 when crossing into Washington state. The end of WA-129 at the border of Washington and Idaho reveals a beautiful river scene between Clarkston, WA and Lewiston, ID. The Lewiston-Clarkston Bridge connects the two cities over the Lower Granite Lake portion of the Snake River. It is amazing. US-95 then leads into Moscow, ID, home of the Mighty Vandals. There are also ridiculous views of the Grande Ronde River throughout Oregon and Washington. If you look closely at the 2nd picture below, there are two people fly-fishing in the river: