Devils Tower

Starting our descent from Powder River Pass in Wyoming

Our trek from Thermopolis to Devils Tower was a nice one.  We met up with Sandy (my MINI Cooper friend who lives here in Wyoming) in Buffalo, WY at exactly the mid-way point of the trip - just 2 hours from Thermopolis.  It was an adventurous 2 hours - we had to make it up and over Powder River Pass at 9,633 ft.  We're debating about whether the Cedar Mountain Pass in Utah or this one was the most treacherous, but from the driver's seat this felt like our most challenging.  Up and over this pass covered around 30 miles and a good chunk of that time was in first gear.
But at the end, we were rewarded with a nice lunch with Sandy and Daddy got to drive a MINI Cooper for the first time in over 5 weeks!  Oh, the joy of motoring again!

And the joy of sitting for lunch with a MINI Cooper friend - I could have sat at the picnic table for hours, I think!  Sandy - thank you for lunch.  Dinner's on us when you make it to Long Island!

From Buffalo, it was on to Devils Tower.  We saw our first highway patrol officers since Kansas mainly due to the fact that the Sturgis bike rally is going on right now.  This week long bike rally is the biggest in the world - our Harley neighbors in Arco were headed there and told me they met bikers there in years past from Europe who would have their bikes shipped over just for this rally.  We've seen the number of bikes multiply rapidly as we've gotten closer to South Dakota, that's for sure.

First good view of Devils Tower

Driving up to Devils Tower was quite an experience.  It is truly a unique formation and unmistakable on the horizon.  Once we were in camp after weaving through the Harley's, I needed a nap and everyone took over getting us set up.  We're only here for 2 nights before we set off for Mt. Rushmore so set-up wasn't too much.  Once my nap was over, it was time to head to the deck next to the camp office where they show Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which as you may know, was filmed here at Devils Tower and in the campground we're staying at.  None of us had ever seen this early Steven Spielberg film and it was our goal to watch it before going up to Devils Tower in the morning.  Of course, as we sat on the deck and dark fell, someone ordered up the special effects.  Lightning flashed from three directions throughout the entire movie, but not a drop of rain fell nor did we ever hear the thunder (until after the movie).  As the sky flashed in the distance, Lisa and I just kept looking at each other - you can't make this stuff up.  I found out today from a biker chick named Banana (yes, her given name is Banana) that those storms were over Sturgis last night and the concert there became a mud pit.  As we left the outdoor cinema (a 30" plasma out on the deck, really) the lightning started to really ramp up - it flashed behind Devils Tower and in front, but try as we might to video it with our iPhones, Lisa and I just couldn't.  But let me tell you - to see Devils Tower in a lightning storm was both eerie and spectacular, but definitely more on the spectacular side.  It was a great night.

Our trip to Devils Tower today (actually Saturday - lack of wi-fi at Devils Tower has me behind a day) was also very eventful.  Forget the fact that this formation is huge and breathtaking.  Add bikers and climbers to the mix and a mile and a half hike became a mini-adventure!  First, the place is just thundering with Harleys non-stop.  I kind of like it - when you own a MINI Cooper, you can relate to guys and gals that just like to ride and ride together.

There is a climber in this picture - just too small to see

Then, during our hike we could hear some shouting coming from up on the face of Devils Tower.  There were several groups of climbers descending the face and one of them had somehow become wedged under a rock.  They were sending someone back to their car for a car jack to jack the rock off of him, but by the time we made it back around to the parking area (we hiked the Tower Trail which basically circles the base of Devils Tower) the Park Service had shut down the trail and 9 expert climbers were headed up to get him down.  I sat with a Park service volunteer who had a radio and this climber had definitely broken both the tibia and fibula on one leg and potentially had fractures on the other leg also.



While I was sitting listening to the radio, Lisa was talking to one of the coordinators for the bikers who is also a climber and he shared that Devils Tower is one of the most sought after climbs in the world.  By the time I got back to the lot an ambulance was on the scene...

The married couple - the guy in the background
looks skeptical if you ask me...

Also on the scene was a justice of the peace.  She was marrying these two bikers.  A crowd gathered, people smiled and clapped and the bride had a stuffed bat in her hand as she said, "I do".  I bet if we stayed a few more hours, there would be a few more stories to tell, but we had seen Devils Tower and it was time to get back.

About 5 miles from Devils Tower

I threw in a 16 mile bike ride where I saw 3 Wyoming highway patrol cars following bikers, but I witnessed no arrests...  The rolling hills around Devils Tower were rough - I was either doing 38 mph or 8.  Very cool to bike back to camp and see Devils Tower.

They had paw prints on little speed bumps along the trail -
the kids found these hand prints.  All the adults missed the hand prints...