Rally #1 and Devils Tower National Monument

We arrived in Gillette, WY on June 17 after spending a few days in Cheyenne.  The highlight of our visit to the capital city was a day spent with our nephew Joe and his family - Shani, Lucy and Daniel.   They live in Montrose, CO but drove to Laramie, WY to visit friends that had moved there.   The day was spent at Vedauwoo, a popular rock climbing area within Medicine Bow - Routt National Forest.

Lots of wildlife in Vedauwoo.  We saw this moose while taking a walk. 

The FMCA  (Family Motor Coach Association) rally ran for 4 days and the agenda was jammed back to  back with seminars, exhibits, nightly entertainment, catching up with friends for dinner and meeting new friends.   This was our first FMCA rally and we really enjoyed it....already talking about attending the 2014 one in Georgia.
This is a huge rally with over 2,300 coaches in attendance and takes place at the Cam-Plex, a 1,100 acre facility with plenty of room to park and several buildings to hold all of the events.   We did experience a rather nasty hail storm at the end of the rally,  with horizontal winds that damaged the fins on our radiator.   Many were parked on grass/dirt and had a trying time getting out with a few getting stuck and having to be towed/pulled out.    Yes....we were one of the coaches that had to be pulled out.   But not because of our parking situation.  Because Ron walks with a cane we requested handicap parking.  That can mean many things to different groups, but in this particular case, we dry camped on asphalt and had easy access to the handicap trams.   How do you get stuck on asphalt, you ask?    Well you don't unless your (dumb, stupid, adventuresome) (you pick the word to insert here)  to drive the coach to use their dump station that is all dirt, grass, gravel and what we found..MUD.....   But the complex sent over a huge tractor, tied a rope around our tow hitch and with the coach in reverse very nicely, smoothly and quickly got us to drier ground.

We then relocated to a "real " campground with full hook ups and 30 amp electric for a couple of days between the two rallies we are attending at the same complex.

Catching up on daily chores and resting from the many seminars and activities we also took one day to explore the surrounding area.

In particular we drove about an hour northeast to Devils Tower National Monument.   Best known for its more than 150 routes of numerous climbs up to 500 feet peak ; it's formation to this day is still a mystery.  Some geologist consider the tower to be an intrusion of molten rock that pushed into surrounding sedimentary rocks before solidifying, while others call it a volcanic plug or remnant of a volcano's neck.   Although, they admit, there is really no evidence in the area that indicates any volcanic activity took place here.  So they have come to agree that it is a small intrusive body formed by magma which cooled underground and was later exposed by erosion.  Whatever.....it is still a very interesting monument to visit.

It is the first declared National Monument in the U.S. by President Roosevelt in 1906 and covers 1,347 acres.  It is a sacred site to the Lakota Sioux who often camp nearby where they perform ceremonies.  Prayer offerings are still left on the trail surrounding the base of the monument.

Out of respect for Native American beliefs, climbers are asked to not climb during June when religious ceremonies are held.   The is a voluntary request and although the numbers are less, some climbers still feel it is their right to climb whenever they want.    The fastest climb was 18 minutes in the 1980's but the typical climb takes 4-6 hours.   No we didn't climb but I did take the trail....which took me 75 minutes when the brochure said it would take 45 minutes.   I guess they didn't take my age, physical condition, photographic encounters and time to chit chat with a few people into consideration.

A geologic feature protruding out of the rolling prairie that surrounds the Black Hills

Climbers

Hundreds of parallel cracks make it one of the best climbing areas in North America. 

One of many prayer offerings.

Trail circling around the base of the tower.

Ponderosa Pines.   I got my hug in....did you know it  is suppose to be good luck if you hug a Ponderso Pine?
I think the people around me thought I was crazy, but I can use all of the good luck I can get and besides, they
smell like vanilla!

Panorama view from highest point on trail.

Ron in front of Tower.

There are lots of prairie dogs.

And lots of  wildflowers.

A sculpture - "Circle of Sacred Smoke" honors the American people as a gesture of world peace and is located near the monument.   It is designed to help raise visitor awareness of the importance of the tower to over twenty tribes.  This is the third of seven works planned by Japanese artist Junkyu  Muto   around the world, with  one located at Vatican City and the other in  Bodhi  India, where the Buddhist reach enlightenment. The sculpture represents the first puff of smoke from a newly lit pipe.  The Italian black granite base comes from the same Quarry as Michelangelo's marble.  It sits on two large  stones that  were transported from the Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills of neighboring South Dakota.

An adjoining picnic area where we stopped to have lunch lets you take in the beauty of this sculpture as you look over the prairie to the tower.

Hope all is well!