WYOMING WANDERINGS  (from Newsletter 17 September 2006)

  I spent 16 full days in Wyoming in August. My accommodation in Jackson Hole, Grand Teton Park, was at 6,208 feet, and in Canyon Village, Yellowstone Park, at 7,734 feet; the highest ground in England is 3,206 feet. Altitude had a very marked effect and it took a few days to acclimatise; even then, tourists are always aware of it. I was usually up before 6.00am, said Mass, was on the road by 7.30am and didn't return until about 8.00pm. Some days I drove up the road and ate a fine breakfast at 7.00am outdoors as the sun rose and draped the mountains in a morning pink light.

  Yellowstone National Park was the world's first National Park. Some say the idea of a such a park was one of the United States greatest gifts to the world. Within a mile of my cabin at Canyon Village, was Yellowstone Grand Canyon with its glorious mix of beautiful colours. Thomas Moran, first Yellowstone painter, said 'the canyon tints are beyond the reach of human art.' There were scenic walks along the rims and steps down to waterfalls with their magnificent rainbows.

  Yellowstone is renowned above all for its geysers - 50% of the world's geysers are there. They are an amazing sight and it was an exhilarating experience to walk in the midst of spouting steam, bubbling pools and their breathtaking colours. Geysers differ in size and erupt at various times - Old Faithful (90 minutes), Daisy (daily), Giant Geyser (weekly), others (every few minutes) and some bubble all the time. Steam rose majestically in the sunshine to the blue sky from pools of beautiful clear turquoise water surrounded by soil with the colours of the prism.

  Pots bubbled like simmering porridge giving off a strong mix of sulphur odours. There are places all over the world with mountains and lakes, but there is only one Yellowstone Park. It was like walking on another planet.

  Other attractions are the wild life - bison (buffalo), moose, elk, deer, coyote, osprey, pelicans, eagles and bears. All can be viewed, especially in the early morning or late evening. I could have 'gone down in the woods' alone, looking for bears, but that is not recommended - bears can run at 35mph, swim and climb trees. As a last resort, the threatened are told to lie face down and hope the bear loses interest!

  South of Yellowstone Park is Grand Teton National Park whose main attraction is a range of mountains, jagged like a serrated knife, rising to 13,000 feet. I walked below the peaks and spent a few hours in the afternoons enjoying a swim and sitting by a lake and one day went kayaking. The wide rolling plains are to the East through which the lovely Snake River winds its way, reflecting its mighty neighbours in its clear waters and a favourite for fishers.

  I detoured (my brothers call these 'subplots') to the village of Kelly to see the remains of the set of the 1953 Western film, Shane'. You may recall the theme music, 'The call of the faraway hills'. and the boy at the end of the film shouting 'Shane! Shane! Come back! Bye Shane!' I drove extra miles to 'chalk up' first visits to Montana and Idaho, and 100 miles to the town of Cody, named after Buffalo Bill. The Museum recalls the extraordinary life of the trapper, pony express rider and buffalo hunter, who once killed an Indian and entertained royalty on his European tour. Queen Victoria was so impressed by his show that she gave him a bar made from cherrywood which is in the hotel Bill built for his daughter, Irma.

  The Grand Teton area was one of the last parts of the West to be explored, due to its severe winters - snow for five months and very low temperatures. The town of Jackson Hole where I stayed claims to be the last of the West to be settled and gained national attention by voting in an all-female council in 1920. It proudly retains its Western character still. I had asked for a small car but got a 2,500cc Nissan Almera! The roads were quiet and people were courteous everywhere. There weren't too many tourists; a coachload of Japanese arrived at the geysers and only had 25 minutes there; I spent five hours in the same place.

  There is an acute shortage of priests. In the Jackson Parish of Our Lady of the Mountains, the Parish Priest had to retire due to ill health, the replacement came from a Benedictine Monastery 2,000 miles away; when he had to visit his mother who was ill, the supply priest broke his ribs. They were hoping to get a retired 80 year old priest to supply the following Sunday, involving 800 miles of travelling. Catholics feel blessed to have any priest of any nationality, age and health.