Devils Tower National Monument

I awoke in Sheridan, Wyoming.  The heat of the previous day was not a memory.  It was the first day of our scorching summer temperatures and the news was calling for an extended period of 100 degree plus days.

It took me a little while to get out of the hotel because I had to do laundry.  By the time I was ready to go, about 10:45, this was the temperature my car indicated. 

Devils Tower my my only planned stop for the day.  I figured it would be a short day since I had been planning on camping so I could get the tower in something other than midday sun.  There were also a number of hiking trails that I wanted to explore.

There are a number of theories as to how Devils Tower was formed.  I won't go into them here, but it is an interesting place to visit and worth the time.

Devils Tower is sacred to many of the Indian tribes.  When I first saw this, I thought it looked goofy.  Then I read the sign that said this sculpture is meant to represent a puff of smoke from a peace pipe and I could see what the artist was trying to attempt.  The smoke ring is made of white marble. 

I sat in my car for about an hour waiting for the sun to lower in the sky and then spent another hour or so sitting under a shelter talking to some people who had climbed the tower and others who were just visiting.   This is near the start of the hiking trail as it wanders through the rock pile.  By the time I started my walk, I'd pretty much decided that I wasn't going to be spending the night.  It was just going to be too hot.

A rain storm moved by to the south of us.  I hoped it would bring cool air.  It did, but I wouldn't experience it until I'd driven through it later on my way to Rapid City.


 

The trail wanders through a pine forest.  There was a fire here a few years back and many of the trees were killed. 

On through the trees.

The area had started to cloud over a bit and I was able to get some softer light.

Departing the area.