Devil’s Tower

While staying in Sundance, Wyoming and only have a short time until we need to be in Gillette for the FMCA rally, we still had enough time to visit Devils Tower National Monument. If you have seen the movie Close Encounters Of The Third Kind you already know this huge tower of stone and to set the record straight I walked all the way around this tower there were no visible signs of any military installation on or near the top:)

There is an interesting tale told by the Indians of several young maidens that were out looking to food when a huge bear starts to chase them. It goes on to say that they prayed to their God to protect them and suddenly the ground that they were standing on started to rise up out of the ground which raised them way above the bear. It is said that the bear scratched the grooves into the side of the rock trying to get up to the maidens. I never heard the end of the story but it does sound more romantic than the geological explanation of super heated magma was forced out of the ground forming a column of stone that eventually cooled and then started turn into what is here today.

Although I had been here before this was the first time that one could comfortably walk the entire circumference of this tower. A fairly easy trail of about one and a half miles it is always a good idea to take water and a snack with you. Of course we didn’t but we survived. One thing we have all established is that we are not in flat land Delaware and I can safely say that we have no intentions of starting mountain climbing as a hobby! Since I related the tale of how the column was created here is the scientific explanation. Sorry about the glare on the signs but I think it is all legible.

This vertical column is a popular climbing destination but in respect to Native Americans the park has declared June as a “No Climb” month but as luck would have it we were there July 1 and there were climbers all over the mountain. Well actually they were climbing up in the shadows and coming down in the sun. Since it was getting pretty late when we were there and it appeared that some of the climbers had just started I wonder if they would stay on the wall for the night and complete their climb the next day. Guess I will never know but it was really great to see this unique location.

Of course if you have never been here add it to your bucket list.