Episode 3 : Wyoming
Imagine your life hanging by a thread...
Road Scholars newcomer Shawn didn't have to use his imagination to conjure up such
danger. Been there, done that, bought the T-Shirt in Wyoming. His name is added to
the legendary list of Wyoming mountain men; Kit Carson, Jim Bridger, Davey Jackson,
Jedediah Smith and John Colter, no less.
People may wonder to what use Shawn would put all those acrobatic skills and that
gymnastic fortitude. Of course, standing amidst some of the most beautiful and
treacherous countryside on the continent, Shawn only has to point.
"Them hills, cowboy. Them hills!"
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"The Old West"
John Colter was one of the earliest explorers in Wyoming. In 1807, while exploring the Rocky
Mountains, Colter stumbled upon a region of exotic steaming geysers and towering waterfalls.
He nicknamed the area "Colter's Hell." In 1872, the area was set aside as a place to be enjoyed
by everyone for all time, including Yogi Bear and his bosom buddy Boo Boo. It's now known as Yellowstone,
and it was the world's first National Park. Some folks refer to it as "Jellystone Park"!
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Other facts:
- Another famous Wyoming resident, Buffalo Bill, has a town named after him called "Cody". He
was lured to Wyoming by the enormous herds of buffalo that grazed the hillsides and provided
an endless supply of food to the area's native tribes, which included Cheyenne, Arapaho and Sioux.
- European settlers, famous for their love of beaver hats, were also drawn to the mountains
in search of the highly-prized pelts.
Climb ratings
Rock climbing circles have rating systems for the difficulty of climbs. Different
countries have different rating systems. In North America, the rating system is The Yosemite Decimal
System. The first number in the YDS designates the class of the climb (always "5" for free climbs),
the second number defines the difficulty. For example, the easiest climb has a rating of 5.1,
whereas the most difficult climbs rate a 5.14d.
The Birth of Wyoming
The following is a translated transcript of an oral history of Wyoming as given by
Dr. Pius Moss, an Elder of the Arapaho Tribe on the Wind River Reservation, in his
tribe's description of the birth of Wyoming and the Arapaho people:
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"Arapaho, as far as origin. At one time this land...there was no land here but water. Well, briefly, and it's very brief, I've never added nothing. I've heard this time and time again from my father, my aunts and uncles in the English relationship....but in the Arapaho they were my fathers and mothers.
So, I've heard this time and again that the place we live in now, was all water. And the old man we call the Flat Pipe, he was somewhat tired of being in the water. So he called for help. Well, after so long for some time, how many ducks flew by. Ten, twelve, whatever, but ducks flew by. They heard his plea for help. So they went down and he made the approach saying he needed help. "Do you want to get some land?" So, the ducks said that they would help. Do what they could. So they, in turn, went down into the depths of the lake or waterbed, or whatever it is....ocean.
In due time they began to come back. Some didn't have anything, some had very little in their bills....very little earth. And they didn't accumulate too fast and the old man just wasn't satisfied. Still, he had something that he did not have before.
So, in due time, here comes a turtle. The turtle, then, was summoned by the old man, if he could help...going down into the depths of the ocean or water or lake to see if he could retrieve some land. Earth. He said that he would do what he could...glad to help. So then he went down. All right...in due time, here he comes back with a bit more than what the ducks had come up with. Then he went down how many times. Each time he came up with more. That satisfies the old man and then, as far as we're concerned, that's how land was established and that's how creation was established."
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