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The man who walks the walk
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Snow or shine, Rexburg resident has hoofed it to work for years
By: TERESA YOUNG
intern@uvsj.com
If you drive the length of Second East in Rexburg, you will pass a college campus, a courthouse, a self-service laundry and several gas stations and restaurants, among other things. But if you drive down this street at the right time of day, you will also pass Joseph West on his way to or from work.
West moved to Rexburg 27 years ago, and, except for eight of those years when he lived in Idaho Falls and Europe, he has walked or bicycled to work nearly every day.
He lives on the hill above the university. He works at EZ Net Tools, which is across from Ray's Chevron.
He began walking because he really had no other option.
"When we first moved up here, we had six children, and we only had one car," said West. "It made a lot more sense for my wife to have the car."
West has found that the advantages of walking involve much more than the obvious benefit of saving money on gas. He is able to stay healthy, but even more importantly for him, that time walking home from work allows him to relieve stress.
"Walking just drains out the stress of the day," said West.
For him, this is the most beneficial thing.
When there is no snow on the ground, the walk takes him from 30 to 35 minutes one way. When there is snow or the ground is slick, that same walk takes about 45 minutes.
To keep from freezing and slipping in the cold and ice of the winter months, West has about $500 worth of winter walking equipment, including several sets of gloves, hats, a parka, cleats for the ice and hiking poles.
"I have to invest in that to be safe," said West.
He admits that the hardest part of walking is the freezing wind blowing in his face during the winter.
Related to his love for walking, West works on the Trails of Madison County committee as the vice-chairman. One of his goals on the committee is to develop the land along the riverbanks of Rexburg, making it similar to the greenbelt systems along the rivers in Idaho Falls and Boise. Creating trails and grass areas along the river would not only improve the landscape, but it would allow the public to make better use of the river bank and provide another source of recreation, he said.
West hopes to encourage others to enjoy the benefits of walking. There are not only the health benefits and money saved, but the beauty of walking outside for an hour every day makes it worth it.
"It's beautiful, just beautiful," West said.
West moved to Rexburg 27 years ago, and, except for eight of those years when he lived in Idaho Falls and Europe, he has walked or bicycled to work nearly every day.
He lives on the hill above the university. He works at EZ Net Tools, which is across from Ray's Chevron.
He began walking because he really had no other option.
"When we first moved up here, we had six children, and we only had one car," said West. "It made a lot more sense for my wife to have the car."
West has found that the advantages of walking involve much more than the obvious benefit of saving money on gas. He is able to stay healthy, but even more importantly for him, that time walking home from work allows him to relieve stress.
"Walking just drains out the stress of the day," said West.
For him, this is the most beneficial thing.
When there is no snow on the ground, the walk takes him from 30 to 35 minutes one way. When there is snow or the ground is slick, that same walk takes about 45 minutes.
To keep from freezing and slipping in the cold and ice of the winter months, West has about $500 worth of winter walking equipment, including several sets of gloves, hats, a parka, cleats for the ice and hiking poles.
"I have to invest in that to be safe," said West.
He admits that the hardest part of walking is the freezing wind blowing in his face during the winter.
Related to his love for walking, West works on the Trails of Madison County committee as the vice-chairman. One of his goals on the committee is to develop the land along the riverbanks of Rexburg, making it similar to the greenbelt systems along the rivers in Idaho Falls and Boise. Creating trails and grass areas along the river would not only improve the landscape, but it would allow the public to make better use of the river bank and provide another source of recreation, he said.
West hopes to encourage others to enjoy the benefits of walking. There are not only the health benefits and money saved, but the beauty of walking outside for an hour every day makes it worth it.
"It's beautiful, just beautiful," West said.
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