Saturday, September 29, 2007
Belle Fourche CG, Devils Tower NM, WY - Aug 29-Sept 2
"Do you like Wyoming?" "I don't know. I've never Wyomed." Hmmm...."Wyoming" is a corruption of an Indian word meaning "the land goes up and down". Anyone who pictures Wyoming as flat as western Kansas has never driven across the state. When towing a trailer, you are frequently in the lower gears: for power going up, and for braking going down. The vistas are ever-changing and always beautiful.
In 1906 Devils Tower became the nation's first national monument. We arrived at Belle Fourche ("bell foosh") campground early enough to get a spot with good solar and a decent view of Devils Tower. We actually didn't need to arrive early at all, since the cg was never more than 1/4 full the whole weekend.
DT is a unique geological formation resembling more than anything a giant stone tree trunk. It was formed 60 million years ago when molten lava was forced into sedimentary rock thousands of feet below the surface. As it cooled it fractured into columns, and over time the softer surrounding rock eroded away leaving a huge monolith. It is one of only 2 or 3 such formations in the world. DT is most famous from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". Rangers freely talk about the movie -- how much was shot on sight (about 15 minutes) and where. DT is also a climbers Mecca -- a day didn't go by without our seeing at least a few climbers on the Tower. More importantly, DT was sacred to the American Indians who lived in the area, seeing it as a place of revitalization or spiritual cleansing. Many of the tribes' stories center around a giant bear clawing the grooves in the side of the tower. We engaged in a little spiritual cleansing during our stay, relaxing, hiking around the Tower, and in general just enjoying the peace & quiet. Our last day coincided with the 13th Annual Cowboy Poet Festival in the Park, quaint & enjoyable, with just four performers in three hours.# posted by Doug and Willie @ 1:28 PM 
