Chapter Four

Prince Rupert to Dallas, Texas

From Prince Rupert I took the highway that led to Jasper and Banff National Parks. The Rocky Mountains in this area are truly magnificent with challenging hiking trails near the Athabasca Glacier, Mount Robson, Chateau Lake Louise and Banff Springs Hotel. I hiked each of these trails into the high country passing clean glacial lakes, magnificent waterfalls, clear rushing mountain streams and awe-inspiring glaciers of stupendous size. Occasionally wild mountain sheep and other wildlife watched me with grave suspicion as I entered their territories.

After my hikes into these superb wilderness areas, I travelled south re-entering the U.S. and cleared customs once again. The time of year was now approaching mid-September and the first indication of winter was clearly evident as I drove through northern Montana with cold blustery conditions and freezing winds hampering my progress. I decided to keep driving south and crossed the border into Wyoming. The next stop was Yellowstone National Park which had experienced a particularly destructive bushfire that summer. I found an antler belonging to an elk which was coloured slightly brown from the recent bushfires, yet served as an excellent souvenir of my trip through North America. Quite often in Alaska I had seen huge mooseheads and their horns hanging outside log cabins, etc. I would like to have brought one to Australia as a souvenir of my travels to these countries, but I knew that it would be out of the question. The park still showed evidence of the recent fires until I crossed over the pass near Mt. Washburn, where I was confronted with a landscape of delightful, fresh powder snow. I hiked along some great trails including a visit to the spectacular Yellowstone Falls, where everything surrounding the falling water was covered in a blanket of fine, white snow. The weather had by this time turned considerably colder.

In Yellowstone National Park I had another close encounter with those Pearly Gates of Heaven which seemed to pop up on odd occasions, challenging my resolve! As an Australian I thought that there were no 'wild' animals in the 'lower 48' and therefore thought nothing of it to approach a seven pointer bull elk guarding its female herd. I guess I came too close because as I took its picture from just a few yards away, it got up and charged at me! With fright and complete shock I turned and ran! The elk was huge and stopped a few feet away from me. Once again I lifted my camera to record this magnificent beast and once again it feigned a charge towards me, only to have me hightail it out of there again, this time back to the road and the safety of my vehicle! A redneck cowboy who saw the entire, apparently humorous episode, yelled out, "What the f--- are ye doin' man, ye bloody idiot!!", as he laughed out loud! Needless to say I felt a little humiliated by this profound experience!

Yet another lesson for the intrepid adventurer!

After entering and overnighting in the Grand Tetons National Park, also in Wyoming, I took a muddy hiking trail around the perimeter of a frozen lake surrounded by snow-covered forests and the rocky granite peaks of those illustriously grand mountains. Thankfully, some of North Americas' most scenic locations have been converted to national parks for the benefit of all who use them including the wild animals which can continue to live in their own pristine and natural habitat. After a brief visit to Jackson Hole, I travelled further south, through the more desolate regions of Wyoming, crossing over into Colorado and continued as far as Steamboat Springs. Years before, in 1983, I had invested in an attractive tract of land with a superb view of the ski slopes of Steamboat Springs. I was on a Christmas holiday at the time and went skiing every day with friends on these soft powdery slopes. I was so taken aback by the absolute beauty of this area that I could not resist wanting to spend more time here. These beautiful mountains so impressed me that I purchased the land whilst it was still under two metres of snow!

Due to unforeseen circumstances which led to my return to Australia some years later, I felt that I had lost my connection to live in the United States. Consequently, and in order to finance the remainder of my journey, I decided to sell the land. I located a Real Estate agent in Steamboat Springs who would handle the sale during my absence, as my intention was to continue travelling. I spent a few days on the property clearing scrub and preparing a trail that led to a hilltop knoll, which would enable potential buyers to admire the splendid views which could be enjoyed from that spot.

After driving through some magnificent scenery in the Colorado Rockies I crossed over into New Mexico and visited the Indian village of Taos. The adobe houses of this village are typical of those from bygone times. Even though there were many tourists visiting this little pueblo, it was interesting to watch the local inhabitants carrying on with their lives much like it was before 'white man's civilisation' reached this part of America and encrusted its code of ethics upon these once proud people.

I continued travelling through the north-west of Texas and arrived in Dallas to visit my good friend, Paul Mears, who had moved to that city some years before. Paul suggested that I do some more work as a model or as a photographer. I did stay a month in Dallas, a city of concrete and glass, but working here did not appeal to me as much this time, probably because I was in 'travel mode' and Dallas had been a city which I had already lived in and experienced sufficiently before. The intrepid traveller seemed to have more meaningful pre-occupations on his mind such as the desire to know other foreign lands and their histories and cultures! Therefore, after a short period of R&R and after having made some repairs to the van, I felt the need to go again. The 'travel bug' had captivated me completely !

I wanted to pursue my plan to completion!

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