"Close Encounters....."

We drove West from Spearfish, SD on Sunday, into the Black Hills and crossing the state line into Wyoming. There were numerous cattle ranches along the way with lots of new calves grazing in the fields alongside their mothers. We also saw lots of horses, some llamas, and and antelope. The valleys and hills are decked out in brilliant spring green.

Our destination was the Devil's Tower of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" fame. It is kind of breath-taking to see it in the distance, rising from the valley floor. It is a site deemed sacred by numerous groups of Native Americans. It is not difficult to understand why. It is also a site that draws hundreds of rock climbers each year. It was fun when we got close to watch those climbers inching their way to the top. It scared me just to watch them going up...but I'm sure the few from up there is most rewarding. As we hiked the little more than one mile loop around the tower, we noticed the Native American prayer flags, tied from trees from time to time. In June, the national park services actually closes the tower to the climbers, so that the Native Americans can gather and hold some of their sacred ceremonies that take place around the Summer Solstice. It was fund to walk all the way around the tower and see it from several different perspectives.

The Native American legend of its forming is a story about 7 Indian maidens that were chased up the tower by a giant bear. The claws of the bear left the vertical indentations that mark the tower. The maidens got to the top and jumped into the heavens and now form one of the major star constellations. The geological explanations are volcanic, and river erosions over millions of years.

We went on to finish the scenic loop, getting back to South Dakota and stopping for lunch in Sturgis, the biker capital of the world. There weren't too many bikers evident in Sturgis, because their national gathering there is later on, but there were a lot of bikers everywhere else we went, especially at the Devil's Tower.

We ended up in Rapid City last night and are now eagerly awaiting the family to arrive from points East, South and West at various times today. That will be three trips to the airport, and well worth the effort.