Day 8 continued--Devils Tower

Devils Tower, late afternoon light

Close-up shot of Devils Tower

Devils Tower, last light

We picked up a brochure on Devils Tower in the motel, and quite honestly, the photo in the brochure didn't really make me want to visit very much. But Smoky was excited about this, so I went along. I had heard that the place was considered sacred by many Native Americans, and I was interested in checking that part out at least.

We could see the structure from some distance away, standing over 800 feet from base to summit. It was imposing from a distance, but I was totally unprepared for its impact as we got closer. We entered the park (it is officially called Devils Tower National Monument) and wound around to the visitor's center, positioned on the southwest side of the monument. The late afternoon sun lit the entire structure, and it was breathtaking.

There is a trail around the base of Devils Tower, so once we had both taken a number of photos of the south face, we starting walking, heading east. As the sun wrapped around the sides of the tower, the play of light and shadows seemed to bring this magnificent structure to life. The energy in this place was moving. It literally caused me to stand breathless, in awe of this creation. I could definitely understand why the Native American's considered this sacred ground.

The sun had set by the time we made the entire loop, and we left the path after paying our final respects to the tower and all it has meant to people who have visited over the centuries. You can read more about Devils Tower at this website.

—Shann