Devils Tower, Wyoming
America’s First National Monument
Devil Tower was made America’s first National Monument by President Theodore Roosevelt on September 24, 1906. It is 867 feet from the base to the summit. It is 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche (foosh) River Valley. Devils Tower is a stunning geological oddity of epic proportions. It is also known as Bear Lodge, the tower is sacred to many Native American tribes. It is located in North Eastern Wyoming.
Wet or Dry? Foggy or Clear? Hot or Cold?
Those were the questions we asked ourselves about the weather we experienced the day we visited Devils Tower, Lead, and Spearfish Canyon.
Take1…Take 2
So Becky took the selfie from the first picture spot in the approach to Devils Tower. Check out her face in Take 2 after Travis tried to point to Devils Tower and instead covered it up with his finger. It was so cold I was shaking.
Visitors’ Center
Kenny had a pass that got us into the National Parks. (That’s why we bring him…just kidding.) But it sure saves them and us money every trip we take. The sky was still very overcast when we arrived at the visitor’s center at 9:30. Travis had to go first and visit his alien friend. Aren’t they cute? (It was a Close Encounter). He’s been looking forward to this a while. I, however, have not seen Close Encounters of the Third Kind. For those of you not aware, the aliens landed here in the movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN9itf542Kk
to the parking lot
Tower Trail
Walking the trail around the Tower gives you a chance to study the tall rock columns and see the Tower from all sides. The Tower Trail is a loop trail that is about 1.5 miles around on a paved but sometimes very steep pathway. Selfie picture is very blurry but we got started around at 9:50. We all had on jackets due to the still cool temperatures.
Pictures Can’t Even Describe
Climbers and Watchers
There were three different groups that we could see climbing while we were there. We took advantage of all the benches on the trail to take breaks, truly enjoy the scenery and just talk to each other.
Going Up and Coming Down
Some portions of the trail were pretty steep as we made our way around. The rocks around the tower are rocks that have fallen. There is no known record of ANYONE ever witnessing a rock fall off Devils Tower. I thought that was amazing.
We hit the halfway marker at 10:37. Can you tell we were taking our time to enjoy?
Hidden Rocks
Kenny was wandering on and off the pathway (as usual) and found rocks hidden from AK rocks in Alaska. I think we ended up finding 3 to relocate. I’m not sure how all the tagging and posting works though.
Finishing the trail Selfie
This was taken close to the end of the trail before we revisited the visitor center. By 11:00 the sun was out and we were all shedding the outer layers.
Joyner Trail – CLOCKWISE!
Joyner Trail is a short distance from the visitor’s center and easy to get to. Not a lot of people walk this trail and the parking area is relatively small. It is a loop trail that is about 1.5 miles. The information that I READ to my group said, “Go clockwise to cut down on the uphill hiking.” It also said, “There is a bench with spectacular views and 100% worth the effort even if you don’t go all the way around the loop.” The group that I travel with DON’T LISTEN and are visual thinkers. They headed counter clockwise because it started off through the flat prairie.
and brought it along. (Praise the LORD)
Clockwise or Counter Clockwise
It did not stay flat. As matter of fact, it was quite a climb the further we went. By 11:55 we headed up out of the grassland. Becky said she didn’t think she would have made it up the last steep steps to the top ridge without her walking stick.
The BENCH?
After arriving at the top of the ridge we had fun with pictures for a bit. I couldn’t wait to show Becky the Bench we had been looking for that was supposed to be 100% worth it. At this point we were a little disappointed in the placement of the bench and the pine tree. There was discussion about which should be moved.
I was also trying to figure out how to tell Becky she had walked the wrong way to get to this bench. She has had both hips replaced and has to be very careful hiking. I’m so proud she made it to the top because when you looked around the tree it was great.
Wandering back down
Fun pictures as we wandered back down the ridge.
The REAL BENCH
We really did get a big laugh at about 12:30 when we discovered the real bench we had been looking for with the view that was 100% worth going to. We could actually see our car from this bench, no more than a couple hundred FLAT yards away. OOPS!
Great opportunity to pray together and enjoy God’s creation. Can you imagine seeing the sun set from here?
Lunch with a view
Right outside the park was a quaint restaurant and souvenir shop. When we arrived at 1:15 we were all ready for some food.
One Last Look
I drove for a bit when we left the restaurant at 2:00. I didn’t get far before stopping for one last picture. The rain clouds had cleared and it was gorgeous skies all around. Travis was all set for a nap as I drove and had shed the shoes. We almost didn’t get him back out for the picture.
Shortly after setting back off, everyone was asleep but me. Someone snored…
Post Office Run
Travis and I were prepared this year and carried our own flat rate boxes with us. We had our rock souvenirs already boxed up and ready to drop off. Travis set my map to Sundance to send them ahead of us.
Refueling in Spearfish
Crazy weather ahead. Travis pumped gas in shorts and it was warm outside. I am not sure of the exact temperature.
Spearfish Canyon
Spearfish Canyon was on our itinerary with several stops planned. We wanted to see Spearfish Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Hike to Devil’s Bathtub. I never even saw the signs due to the hail and rain we drove through. Kenny’s quote was, “We went to Devils Tower, then drove through hail.”
This was my first experience with hail. It was so loud in the vehicle that we could not hear each other talking. It surprised us, but did not damage the vehicle.
Time to pull over
We finally pulled over into a small parking lot because it was too dangerous to drive. As we sat there, hikers started periodically running/walking out of the woods and getting into their cars. They had been caught out on the trails.
It looked like snow.
Travis turned on the heater.
Lead
We seriously just drove straight through Lead trying to stay ahead of the clouds. Looked to be a cute small town.
Quick Stop/Visit
Deadwood was planned for the next day so this was just a quick stop at an antique store. Travis getting to see his friend again was just a bonus.
Firehouse Brewing Company
This restaurant was on my list of places to try while in Rapid City. Upon return from our daily adventures, we headed straight downtown and were fortunate to get seated immediately. We arrived at 6:30 and the parking was free for the weekend. Travis and I shared the Captain, the Digby’s shared the General. We also ordered the Pork Con Queso. It was LOTS of food!! Our waitress was great. The food was great. I would recommend this place to anyone.
Downtown Area
Rapid City is known as the “City of Presidents. ” A series of life-size statues spans several blocks downtown. It was fun listening to Travis, Kenny, and Becky try to guess who they were before reading the plaques. I didn’t even TRY!
