Tuesday June 21 – Summer Solstice!
Close Encounters of the Third Kind was a big movie when we were kids. Neither of us remembers much about the movie, except that there were aliens, the music was fun and the unbelievable finale location – Devils Tower. Over the years, we’ve been nearby and thought about stopping but haven’t taken the time – we decided no better time than today and made a quick stop.
The drive from Thermopolis is about 4 1/2 hours. The landscape was beautiful and seemed to change around almost every corner. Watching the landscape and sky was amazing. We ended up driving into and were able to drive out of a pretty dark thunderstorm. There was lightening, hail and so much rain!!
I knew the Tower was big but didn’t fully appreciate the magnitude of how big until standing at the base! Driving up, the Tower can be seen for miles. From the base to the top is nearly 1,000 feet and the area on top is about the size of a football field! We were amazed to find out that wildlife, native grasses, cacti, and sagebrush actually live on top. Animals that make it to the top include chipmunks, mice, pack rats, and snakes. They are isolated from creatures on the base! We had some good conversations about how the animals could get there…and how they are able to survive.
I know to some, it looks like a giant tree stump but we enjoyed our quick trip to Devil’s Tower. I loved learning the cultural history as well as the more modern parts too. We stopped at the general store near the park entrance when we left – we had to get some homemade huckleberry ice cream and a few souvenirs!
The name Devil’s Tower started somewhere around 1875, during the Black Hills gold rush. One expedition reported “The Indians call it The Bad God’s Tower” “or in better English, ‘The Devil’s Tower…”. At the time, though many documents and maps reflected the site’s original name, “Bear Lodge,” Devils Tower became the popular title. Almost all American Indian names for the site are associated with a bear in some way, so it’s clear that those reporting on the expedition published incorrect information. Or maybe they needed a better translator. In the Lakota language, the word for a “bad god” or an “evil spirit” is wakansica. However, the Lakota word for black bear is wahanksica. It’s possible that someone simply mistranslated the given name without realizing it, but the mistake altered the history of the region, replacing a name of immense cultural significance with an inaccurate, but catchy, misinterpretation.
The Tower was and is still sacred to many different tribes of the Northern Plains – they all seem to have similar stories about how it was formed and called it some version of “bears lodge” or “tipi”. Modern connections are still maintained through personal and group ceremonies – sweat lodges, sun dances, and others are still happening. We saw many examples of the most common ritual that takes place at the Tower – prayer offerings. Colorful cloths or bundles that are placed usually on tree branches near the Tower. They may represent an offering, a request, or simply in remembrance of a person or place. As another example, the Lakotas traditionally held their sacred Sun Dance at Devils Tower around the summer solstice. The Belle Fourche River was known to the Lakotas as the Sun Dance River and is considered a sacred place of renewal. The Sun Dance is a ceremony of fasting and sacrifice that leads to the renewal of the individual and the group as a whole. It takes away the pain of the universe or damage to Nature. The participant suffers so that Nature stops suffering. The Sun Dance is considered the supreme rite of sacrifice for the society as a whole. Even today, the Park does not allow climbing during the month of June, out of respect to those Native American cultures.
The Sioux story of Bear’s Butte… two young boys became lost trying to find their way home through the vast prairie. After some time, the boys realized that they were being followed, hunted by the ferocious and relentless Mato, an exceptionally giant bear! The boys ran from Mato for as long as they could, but found no place to hide in the low brush and open meadow. Soon, the massive bear was upon them, and in a final plea for rescue, the boys dropped to their knees and prayed to the Great Spirit to save them. Suddenly, the earth began to shake, and the boys found themselves lifted up into the sky by a giant pillar of rock! Determined, still, to catch them, Mato reared up onto his hind legs, clawing enormous, vertical striations into the stone as he tried to climb after the two boys, but they remained just beyond his reach. Mato tried and tried to reach them, covering every side of the mountain in the long cracks and scratches made by his claws. But try as he might, Mato could not catch the boys. Eventually, Mato retreated, exhausted and disappointed, leaving the two boys alone and frightened on top of the mountain. The story comes to a close as the two boys are carried back to their village on the wings of Wanblee, a giant eagle.
In 1893 on the 4th of July, 2 local farmers found a way to make some money and have a fun celebration too. To a fanfare of nearly 1000 spectators they used a wooden ladder pounded into the side of the rock to climb to the top. Once on top they raised an American flag for all to see. Their wives sold food and refreshments as well as parts of the flag as souvenirs. The site became an annual meeting place each July for many ranch families. Small parts of the ladder can still be seen on the face.
Climbing is a very popular activity. Records of Tower climbs have been kept since 1937. Approximately 5,000 climbers come every year from all over the world to climb on the massive columns. More than 220 routes have now been used in climbing the Tower.
While hiking the trail, Chad and I read a funny story on a sign…In October 1941, a professional parachutist named George Hopkins got stuck atop the Tower with no way down. Without the consent or knowledge of National Park Service officials, Hopkins had parachuted from an airplane to the top of Devils Tower. For publicity, he wanted to prove that a parachutist could land precisely on a small target. His plan was to descend using a 1,000-foot rope which would be dropped from the plane after him. Hopkins hit his mark, but his rope landed out of reach on the side of the Tower, leaving him stuck on top – for 6 days!! Food, water and other supplies had to be dropped to George while they tried to figure out a way to rescue him. Newspapers covered the story and thousands of people came to watch the rescue.
Continuing our trip home, we stayed near Deadwood, SD. We didn’t get the “prime” site that we had hoped for but were very happy with our sunset view! It still amazes me that there are sites for free where we can set up camp and stay overnight like this! The app we use is called Ioverlander. Some spots are better than others but it is fun to explore!!
We decided to jump off the interstate and drive thru the scenic Badlands National Park. Always love this drive! We saw a few bighorn sheep over one hill but mostly just enjoyed the vistas. We also rounded out the end of our trip with a quick stop at Pipestone National Monument. Another place I’ve heard about but never been…even tho in our home state! Beautiful little area with a lot of signicant history for Native Americans. We hiked around the park for about an hour and still made it home for a late dinner of pizza delivery! Gotta love being able to order on the internet while driving!!
