The November 1998 tour route took us on a 2,000 mile (3.200km) loop through Utah, Montana, Washington, Idaho and back to Utah. In all, eight games were played of which seven resulted in sizeable losses. The Washington State game was close. But, the ball just didn’t bounce the right way at the end. That’ll happen.
Generally, the Estonians were overmatched by bigger, more experienced, players. But this was not unusual for Eastern European club teams. Of the 40+ games played on the five tours I led, I’d say a slight majority were competitive losses (15 or fewer points). Several were blowouts. Victories were rare. Maybe, three or four total.
It was challenging for jet-lagged, road-weary, club teams to play multiple games over 12-14 days. But, despite the losses, the experience proved beneficial for league-play back home. As for their Stateside opponents, each university was ultimately footing the bill for these tours. So, it was important to give them a good game – just not too good a game. I’d say, mission accomplished all-around.
The morning after the near-win at Washington State we hit the road early for the 300-mile (500km) drive to Boise Idaho. Distances like this required plenty of time to complete the journey during daylight hours knowing there would be multiple stops along the way while also allowing time for contingencies. In mid-fall, the sun sets in Boise shortly after 5pm. So, we had time. Nonetheless, I hadn’t anticipated the first stop would be only 40 minutes south of Pullman.
The Lewiston Overlook along Highway 95 is 2,756 feet (840m) above sea level. Here an observer can easily see the twin towns of Lewiston (Idaho) and Clarkston (Washington), about 2,000 feet (610m) below.
These towns were named in honor of the famed early American explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. In the early 1800s, Lewis & Clark mapped a trail from St. Louis Missouri to the Pacific Ocean near what would become Astoria Oregon. At this same time, Tallinn had been on the map already for 650 years.
The view from Lewiston Overlook was (and is) expansive. At that moment, I didn’t fully appreciate the impression this made on my Estonian friends. It wasn’t until I travelled through their homeland five months later that it dawned on me. Lewiston Hill was probably the highest point on earth they had ever experienced, by far.
Estonia is relatively flat. Not Kansas flat, but fairly flat. The countryside is characterized by thickly forested low rolling hills broken open by clearings of farmland. The highest point in Estonia is named Great Egg Hill rising to a grand height of 1,043 feet (318m). This is 13 feet higher than Tallinn’s TV tower. The lack of natural speedbumps has made this corner of Northern Europe relatively easy to traverse militarily. But that’s another story.
My only regret about the basketball tours is that I didn’t take time to properly photograph these adventures, particularly the first three. I guess I figured a good tour leader needed to be concentrating on other things. Nonetheless, I’m happy we took the time at Lewiston Hill to enjoy the view and gather for a group photo.
