THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Weather and cows and scenery and stools

Hey, remember when it used to snow during the winter? 

At least in the lower elevations.

We found some on the way south this week, on the way to the Boise area to cover the state high school boys basketball tournaments. 

Usually we head west, then south — to Ritzville, through the Tri-Cities and eastern Oregon, and back into Idaho for that 80 mph sprint to the motel in Meridian. 

But this year, Young Jason took U.S. 95, down through Idaho. And one of the refs headed down there to work the boys tournament said he was headed that way as well. 

So what the heck. 

Shop Idaho. Drive Idaho. 

Naturally, when they said there was a 90% chance of rain on Wednesday, I didn’t take it to mean it was going to rain 90% OF THE DAY. 

I didn’t experience any hydroplaning, though I heard others did. There wasn’t water over the road — yet — though I heard it was later. 

The stretch along the Salmon River was scenic. 

So were the cows. 

One drank from the standing water. 

Others munched on the hillsides. 

How do they keep their balance? 

At New Meadows, I took a left and headed on Highway 55 toward McCall. 

Don’t ask me why; I thought it would more scenic. 

Then the rain turned to snow. 

And the snow started to stick to the road. 

I knew the questions would come from the media — why did you take that route, dummy? 

Funny how folks tend to fixate on traffic cameras for days before they travel.  

Then on travel day, they just drive through it. 

But apparently those who veered right at the fork and stayed on 95 through Weiser and Ontario, etc., did not escape the snow either. 

As for the drive home ... well, we’ll see. 

THE ST. Maries Lumberjacks boys basketball team wanted Bryan Chase to continue as its coach. 

But the team also wanted him to be comfortable. 

When Chase was diagnosed with pancreatic liver cancer in June, he gave up his newest head coaching gig as Lumberjacks volleyball coach. 

But Chase, who had guided the Lumberjack boys to state in the first 10 years of his 11-year stint with the team, was determined to keep coaching that squad. 

The Lumberjack players are glad he did.  

“Definitely very special,” St. Maries senior guard JJ Yearout said. “When he first got the cancer we were worried, ‘shoot, he’s not going to be able to coach,’ but we worked really hard, and we were able to get him to come back, and I’m glad that he came back. I’ve been with him the last four years, it would have been hard to go in with a different coach.” 

“One of the best guys I know,” Lumberjacks junior guard Jaxson Harold said. “Glad he’s back coaching, hopefully he can maybe do one more year.” 

When most coaches huddle with their teams during timeouts and such, they get down in a crouch to be at eye level with the players seated on the bench. 

Enter John Shepherd, Bryan’s cousin and an assistant coach on his staff for the past few seasons. 

John found his cousin a stool — some 3 feet tall, so Chase can be a little more comfortable when he speaks to his team during breaks in the action. 

The stool was “one of those Walmart specials,” Shepherd said. “We didn’t have a chance to get a St. Maries logo on it. With coach fighting cancer, I didn’t want him squatting all the time, so there you go.” 

“He was tired of seeing me squatting and falling down,” Bryan said. “I lost a little bit of my balance. So he got me a stool so I’m not falling down.” 

“I wish it would have been a little more customizable,” Yearout said. But “it definitely helps.” 

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 1205, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports.