Devils Tower National Monument
Matȟó Thípila – Holy place of the Lakota Sioux
Morning hike around the base of the Monument
2,1 mile loop
Visitor Information Center
Ceremonial ribbons have been placed at the base on the tower by the native peoples. In a number of Native American traditions, “prayer ties” are created in a ritual manner and left in particular sacred spots, or else in places made sacred by a personal or community ceremony. These are generally made of strips of colored cloth, either red (representing the Red Road of indigenous spirituality) or the four colors of the four directions (the exact colors varying from tribe to tribe), with a pinch of tobacco or sacred herbs knotted in the cloth.
Signs of the 2012 forest fire are evident along the trial
Another Turkey Vulture on the lookout for weary hikers.
American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
aka Pine Squirrel
As fyi, there are 25 (mostly) recognized subspecies of red squirrels.
To learn more about Prairie Dogs, see my blog entry for Day 5: Badlands to Devils Tower, Wyoming
Back on the road to get to our next destination:
Bighorn National Forest
Leigh Creek Campground, Bighorn National Forest,
Forest Road 504, Ten Sleep, WY 82442
This small campground stretches along the banks of Tensleep Creek in the glacier and water carved Tensleep canyon. Leigh Creek offers good trout fishing as well as a close up view of the dramatic transition of the terrain. The steep red and white limestone canyon walls contrast with the green juniper and shimmering aspen to provide an attractive campground experience.
All true 🙂
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Tomorrow Destination: Yellowstone National Park
240 miles to our next campsite at Mammoth Hot Springs
