Sympathy for the Devil

Daily Mileage=313;Total Trip= 9271

Today we went to Devil’s Tower National Park in Wyoming. It was the first National Monument in the US named as such by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. It was quite impressive. You can see it from quite a few miles away and it grows larger as you get closer.

It is a huge rock formation (867 feet tall and 1,000 foot diameter at the bottom) that was formed through plate tectonics and subsequent erosion.

In fact, the huge boulders strewn around the bottom are pieces of the Tower falling. It’s a great rock climbing spot and over 5,000 people come to do so each year. We saw some going up and down while we were there (we decided that we would pass on that adventure!). There is a nice trail (1.5 miles) that goes around the bottom of the edifice and allows you to see it from all angles.

Can you find the climber in this photo? He's vertically in the middle and towards the right of center (near the edge of the Tower itself). If you blow it up to view, you'll see him easily.

Devil’s Tower is a sacred place for several Native American nations. The legend says that there were 7 girls and 1 boy playing when all of a sudden the boy changed into a bear. The bear started to chase the girls who ran on the top of a tree stump. The tree said it would protect them and began to rise as the bear clawed at its sides. It continued to rise until the girls reached the sky where they remain even today as the big dipper constellation. When you see the sides of the Tower the ridges appear to be claw marks.
You can also see several “prayer cloths” some with feathers, hanging in the surrounding trees. They have been placed there by Native Americans offering prayers to the spirits.

After Devil’s Tower we drove through Belle Fourche, SD which is the geographic center of the United States since the addition of Alaska and Hawaii (Kansas lost this honor). Don’t ask us for the formula on how that’s possible but it’s documented by a US Government Agency and that’s all that is in this town! (How could we not stop there on our way to North Dakota?)

We continued through some very small towns usually 2 blocks with saloons, cowboy shops and feed stores. We then drove through miles of rolling prairie land with lots of cattle, antelope, deer and we even saw wild pheasants. It is beautiful and isolated. It is wonderful to see and visit but we could never live here (without becoming cowboys/girls.)

I don’t think I ever shared my thinking on horseback riding. Basically, I believe that if life were fair, horses would get to ride half the time. Somehow I don’t think a poor horse should have to carry my fat a—on it. So I’m not a fan of horseback riding. In my youth, I did think it was cool and did the dude ranch scene etc., but those days are over.

Rich on the other hand, did some ranching in his youth. Yes, the city slicker from the Bronx rode horses to round up cattle when he was in the Air Force in California for “a buck” an hour. He says his riding days are over too. So, we won’t be living out west where you really need horses to get around on all that land. (Although we did see real cowboys using ATV’s which apparently are the horses of the 21st century. What is happening to the Old West? Is nothing sacred anymore?
We made it to Dickinson, ND which is right outside Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Tomorrow we will explore one of the more remote parks however, I’m getting the feeling we didn’t need to come to the park because it’s remote enough outside of it!
Good night, Love & Joy, Mare & Rich