We took off from Walla Walla around noon today. After a gorgeous drive along the Oregon Scenic byway through the canyon, then a brief drive along the canyon rim, we arrived at our campsite, outside the J2 Ranch. We've got a beautiful overlook of the canyon and a great setup here where we'll be for the next four nights. Jay, Season and Phil have worked really hard to ensure that we have a perfectly functioning internet connection, kitchen, tent, shower and bathroom system and we're living plush!
Today I realized what David Bayles meant when he says, "You are already at the center of the West." Each place we drove through today was the "Westernmost" of any Western place I've ever visited - Walla Walla offering free rodeo tickets and the billboard saying, "Don't let Seattle steal this election," the bison farm outside Enterprise and the Wallowa River gorge. I anticipate that this will be the case for the rest of the semester. And today we didn't even talk to anyone. I think this will be a semester of understanding, illumination and great questioning.
Hell's Canyon is a beautiful place to get acquainted to the West. The view is scenic, the weather is beautiful (so far, though we're expecting a storm tomorrow) and the company (as usual) is great. I can't wait to meet Mary and get started on the first assignment!
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