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Devils' Tower (Wyoming, USA)
by catsholiday
Devil's Tower National Monument, Wyoming
We decided to visit this monument as we had a spare day while we were staying in Spearfish . We drove into Wyoming and straight to Devil's Tower but on the way back we stopped in to Sundance and visited their museum and then went on to Vore Buffalo Jump which I have reviewed as ... well.
This lump of rock is actually the core of a volcano which has been worn to this shape by years of erosion from the weather and the Belle Fourche river.
THE FIRST NATIONAL MONUMENT
On September 24th 1906 President Theodore Roosevelt declared Devils Tower as a national monument. The actual butte and a surrounding 1,152.91 acres was set aside as this amount of land he believed to "be sufficiently large to provide for the proper care and management of the monument".
During early settlement of the area the Area of the Black Hills was 'given' to the Lakota tribes but once gold was found there settles persisted in entering the area to mine. The tribes and these illegal settles fought, the US government tried to get the Lakota to give up their sacred Black Hills but they were naturally reluctant to once again be moved off their land so they refused. By early 1876 there was a full-scale Indian war and following the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June, the Army pursued the 'hostile' tribes relentlessly. In the fall of that year the Indians were compelled to cede the Black Hills and most of their lands in Wyoming to the whites.
By the early 1800s the area was safe for white settlers and towns such as Deadwood, Belle Fourche and Custer grew up almost overnight. With the settlers came the expansion of the railway into the area and as the Tower can be seen from the railroad it is thought that this helped it become a National Monument rather than falling into the hands of private individuals.
AN IMPORTANT SACRED SITE
For years before the white settlers arrived this place was important to the local tribes of the Arapaho, Crow, Lakota, Cheyenne, Kiowa and Shoshone. At the Tower there are signs asking you not to interfere with the sacred offerings around the area. These are items hanging from trees they are small tied bundles of cloths.
The Tribes are not really happy with the name Devil's Tower and in fact all the Tribal names include something to do with a bear and their legends around the tower also involve bears. The Arapaho call Devil's Tower "Bear's Tipi" while the Cheyenne call it "Bear's Lodge," "Bear's House," "Bear's Tipi," and "Bear Peak." The Crow however refer to the rock as "Bear's House" and "Bear's Lair." The Kiowa are a bit different and they call the Tower "Aloft on a Rock" and "Tree Rock." Finally the Lakota refer to it as "Bear Lodge," "Bear Lodge Butte," "Grizzly Bear's Lodge," "Penis Mountain," "Mythic-owl Mountain," "Grey Horn Butte," and "Ghost Mountain."
All these different tribes feel that this area is of great spiritual importance to them. The area of the Black Hills is important for the Lakota as this is their place of creation. One legend speaks of a Lakota band camped in the forest at the foot of Bear Lodge who were attacked by a band of Crow. A huge bear came to their aid and with its help the Lakota were able to defeat the Crow.
The Indian tribes believe that the columns around this hug lump of rock are made by the claws of the giant bear of their legends.
THE LAKOTA LEGEND
Two boys were playing around picking berries and playing a bit more when suddenly they spotted Mato, the bear. This was giant grizzly so huge that the boys would make only a small mouthful for him. He had got a sniff of the boys and he kept coming closer, and the earth trembled as he gathered speed.
The boys ran and ran and the giant bear got closer and closer. The terrified boys called upon Wakan Tanka, the Creator: "Tunkashila, Grandfather, have pity, save us."
The earth shook and began to rise up under the boys. Out of the earth came a cone of rock at least a thousand feet high and the two boys were safely on top of it.
The furious bear clawed at the sides of the rock frantically all around until eventually he gave up and walked off. "You will notice on its sheer sides many, many streaks and gashes running straight up and down, like scratches made by giant claws."
TIMES AND PRICES
Our 'America The Beautiful' National Park card got us in here but if you don't have one then the price is $10 per car. The park is free on specific National holidays but you have to pay extra to camp within the park.
The Monument is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week and no specific dates are mentioned. From 05 September thru 30 September Visitor Center Hours will be 8 AM-5 PM. On Saturday October 1st the Visitor Center will switch to winter hours, 9 AM-4 PM.
RULES IN THE PARK
Throughout the park you are supposed to keep your speed down to 25mph. This is to protect the wildlife.
You are of course not to remove any wildlife, plants or the like from the park. Do not feed the wildlife and pets must be on a lead and only walked in the parking area NOT on the paths or trails.
PRAIRIE DOG TOWN
After entering through the gate we drove through the park towards the rock. On the way we passed an area of flat ground which was home to thousands of prairie dogs. They were just everywhere and so very sweet with their little front legs up begging and looking around a bit like the meerkats. We must have spent about half an hour watching these busy little creatures before driving on to see the rock itself.
These are black tailed prairie dogs and they are a type of burrowing rodent. They are very sociable beasts and lucky for us they are only active during daylight hours. They burrow huge long tunnels which can stretch up to 10 feet down and then 15 long. This Prairie dog town covers about 40 acres.
THE TOWER
The Devil's Tower Park is quite some size and along the way you pass a picnic ground and a camp ground. The forests and scenery make a very pleasant drive. Once you arrive at the rock there are quite a few places to park the car. If you are driving one of those huge Winnebagos then you have to park along the road leaving the car park.
There is a large visitor's Centre which has a shop, toilets, some displays and information about the Tower and they also arrange climbs and walks around the area.
There are several marked walks and you can walk right up to the base of the Tower and of course you can climb it if you apply for a permit I believe. We walked around the area and took photos from several different places before heading back through the park to see if we could find the new sculpture.
THE CIRCLE OF SMOKE
This quite recent statue or piece of art work was placed in the park in 2008 and is the work of sculptor Junkyu Muto who is actually Japanese. This sculptor has made three sculptures in an international peace project. One piece is in the Vatican and has been there since 2005. The second is in Bodhi Gaya in India near the Bodhi tree and this third piece was donated to the National Park Service by Mr Muto and the Kazenowa Corporation of Japan.
This piece is said to represent the first puff of smoke from the peace pipe of the Indian tribes. This Circle of Some was carefully placed on a base stone from the Crazy Horse Monument and it is positioned in such a way that you can frame the Devil's Tower within the circle if you sit or stand in the right place.
INTERESTING FACTS AND STORIES
Around 400,000 people visit the park every year and many of those come to climb the rock.
The first official climb was July 4th 1893 and two local cowboys build themselves a ladder of stakes up one side. Their names were Will Rogers and Willard Ripley.
In 1941 a man called George Hopkins parachuted onto the rock. He couldn't get down so food was dropped from above so he could survive until a rescue party could get him down six days later!
One of the fastest climbs of Devils Tower was done in 18 minutes by Todd Skinner in the 1980s. It usually takes 4-6 hours to climb the Tower.
The top of Devils Tower is about the size of a football field and is slightly dome shaped and rocky, with native grasses, cacti, and sagebrush.
Prairie falcons sometimes nest in the cracks of Devils Tower and then the climbing routes near the nest are closed until the young falcons have flown.
Occasionally chipmunks, mice, pack rats, and snakes are found on the top so they must be good climbers too.
The Towers is 856 feet high and rocks and boulders that have broken off from the Tower have been found up to a mile and a quarter away from the Tower.
WOULD I RECOMMEND A VISIT?
Yes indeed if you are near the area then make the effort. You can camp in the park if you have the right equipment or you can go for a day trip like we did. If you want to go for longer hikes then plan you day carefully and take plenty to drink. Read all the warnings and instructions about walking along the trails before you set off. The legends were wonderful I have retold the Lakota one but each tribe has a slightly different legend to explain this lump of rock with interesting column formations up its sides. The prairie dogs alone are worth coming to see as they are so very entertaining in their antics.
Thanks for reading and I hope this has been of some interest. This review may be posted on other sites under my same user name.
©Catsholiday
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Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park (USA)
by ScienceGeek
I had never heard of Monument Valley (part of the native American lands of the Navajos in the middle of America, somewhere near Utah and Arizona) and having just visited the Gran Caynon did not think I would/could be more impressed by a nature wonder. Secretly I was torn between excitement of going and wondering if the drive could ... possibly be worth it!
As we approached Monument Valley all my doubts disappeared, I had never seen before or since such a remote, stunning, spectacular or breath-taking place. You may think I'm going over board but this is a truly amazing place. Stepping out of the truck felt like stepping out onto Mars, with burnt terracotta sands and gigantic columns.
We took the tour and at every stop there was 360 degrees panoramic views, structures with names and native American singing! I even enjoyed the tourist squeezing 'traditional' market stop, helped by the fact that set upon a hill it yet again it had one of the most amazing views.
If you have the chance one word: GO!
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Mount Rushmore National Park (South Dakota, USA)
by catsholiday
Mount Rushmore
BRING IN THE TOURISTS THEY SAID
This is one of those 'must see' sights that looks exactly as you imagined it would only bigger. We were very lucky on the day we visited as the sun shone and we were blessed with a beautiful blue sky so perfect for photographs.
Tourism is South Dakota's ... second-largest industry and Mount Rushmore is its top tourist attraction. Every year around three million visitors visit this impressive sight.
This amazing rock sculpture is a National Monument which was completed in 1941 so is celebrating its 70 years anniversary this year 2011. The idea for this monument was originally conceived as something of interest to bring visitors out west to South Dakota. This huge carving took nearly fourteen years from 1927 to its completion in 1941and what is even more amazing is that during that time there were no fatalities amongst the workers.
GUTZON BORGLUM:
In 1924 the sculptor Gutzon Borglum was invited to the Black Hills area to confirm that the carving could be achieved on the mountain. The original idea was for a carving of Old West heroes but Borglum preferred the idea of these four presidents who had each contributed to the history of the nation.
Borglum chose the south easterly facing granite rock for his carving so that the faces would be illuminated by the sun. He certainly chose well as when the sun is shining it does indeed show the faces off so that all the details can be clearly seen.
He was obviously a fairly determined character and not only did he get his way with the faces chosen and the site but he also insisted that people should never be charged to visit the carving. However there is a charge for parking the car of $11 which is not too bad really and the 'America the Beautiful' National parks season ticket does work here. Borglum was already in his sixties when the work was bug so no spring chicken.
He was assisted by 400 workers and quite a bit of cleverly used explosives. Sadly he dies before it was completed and the work was finished by his son.
WHY THESE FOUR PRESIDENTS?
"The purpose of the memorial is to communicate the founding, expansion, preservation, and unification of the United States with colossal statues of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt." Gutzon Borglum
George Washington who was president from 1732 to 1799 was chosen to represent the struggle for Independence of the American nation - FOUNDING.
Thomas Jefferson who was president from1743 to 1826 was chosen as the representative of the idea of government by the people - EXPANSION
Abraham Lincoln, 1809-1865 is best known for being the president when slavery was abolished so he represents the idea of equality - UNIFICATION
Theodore Roosevelt president from 1858 to1919 represents the nation moving into the 20th century and the hanging role of the United States in world affairs. - PRESERVATION
SOME FACTS OF INTEREST:
The sheer size of this carving makes it the largest monument in the world.
The faces are of such a size that to fit on a body to scale, the body would have to be of a man 465 feet tall.
South Dakota is well above sea level and this monument stands at 5,500 feet above sea, level, higher than any point in the UK.
Thomas Jefferson's face was originally started on George Washington's right but after 18 months of work Borglum was not happy with it and Jefferson's face was dynamited off and carved on the other side. I would have been really upset to lose all that much work.
No one died while building Mount Rushmore. Although there were some injuries none were serious.
The cost for this amazing work of art was $989,992.32.
Borglum died only months before its completion and the project was finished by his son.
OUR VISIT:
We arrived reasonably early and as the day was beautiful and bright we saw the monument from some distance away. As we got closer we followed the signs and arrived at the gate where we showed our 'America the Beautiful' card to pay for the car park. We then walked following signs towards the actual monument.
You approach the monument viewing point through a sort of avenue of columns and state flags. The columns each had information about when the state joined the nation and then the flag flew above. This meant that you got different views as you got closer to the end wall where you then got a clear uninterrupted view of the whole monument. This spot is called the Grand View Terrace and it is indeed aptly named as the view is quite awe inspiring. Not being American I had no great patriotic feelings but I couldn't help but be impressed by the sheer size of the monument. I was also very impressed by the detail in the carving.
Considering a lot of blasting was done we were thinking how awful it would have been had they nearly finished one face and the blast accidently chipped off the nose or something.
After admiring the sculpted heads from the Grand View Terrace we walked down the stairs to the Lincoln Borglum Museum and the Visitor's Centre. There were stairs either side as well as lifts for those who might need them. At this level we also found a book shop and the amphitheatre.
We went into the Visitor Centre and had a welcome sit in the cinema area where a short 15 minute film takes you through the background of the monument. It describes the history about the reason for the site, position and who was going to be carved. It explains how the carving was done with some old film footage and old photographs of the work in progress.
Having watched the film we wandered around the displays and read the information and explanations. It really made you appreciated the work that was involved. There were quotes from people who had worked on the carving. They described hanging from ropes for hours on end and being covered in dust. It all sounded pretty awful to me, the idea of hanging from a tiny rope platform for hours a day high above rocks would be bad enough but to be hacking away at dusty rocks with a huge heavy drill thingie as well really would not appeal.
The workers also had to suffer really harsh winters, so not only were they up high precariously hanging and banging at rocks but they were either freezing cold in winter or baking hot in the summer. Borglum was a tough master and was also very stubborn so that despite having to fight for funding and the harsh conditions he worked hard guiding and pushing the dusty drill toting miners on to completion of the monument.
I suppose these men were just happy to be working as when this activity was taking place on the mountainside in the mid west many in America were struggling through the Depression years. Borglum is quoted as saying; "Don't say I can't on this work. The I can'ts are unknown in the world of work and unremembered in history". He certainly wasn't an "I can't" and nor were these workers.
These individual workers are also not forgotten in history either as there was a large display listing all the people who had worked on this mountain carving in the Lincoln Borglum Centre and rightly so as everyone of those men contributed something to the carving. I was quite touched by this huge list of people and would be very proud to see my relative's name written up in history like this so it was a very nice touch.
It was with a sense of amazement that we walked around reading the information, looking at the displays and being mind blown by the photographs and the size of the drills that the men had to be hauled up on the pulleys with. I don't think I could lift one never mind hold it to drill accurately into granite for hours every day. They must have had muscles of steel.
The Sculptor's Studio is also an interesting visit and here you can see scaled down sculptures of the heads. The heads are one twelfth of the size of those on the mountain so that 1" on the model is 1foot on the mountain. So you can see that the model heads are not exactly tiny. You see how the models are transferred on to the mountain and the lines drawn, how the blasts were followed by more accurate carving.
Somewhere in this area, either in here or the Visitor's centre they explained how they maintain the monument with constant repair work of any cracks and weaknesses that appear so that the monument looks as good today as when it was completed seventy years ago. Weathering and erosion could do great damage despite the fact that the rock is granite because it has been blasted and carved it has been weakened and so it is vital that this repair work using some sort of resin mixed with rock takes place. I had no idea about this and thought that the rock was just a good solid rock and would last for years without any care.
WHAT DID I THINK?
I was really very impressed almost more with the exhibition than with the monument itself. That sounds strange but when you see something that looks exactly like all the pictures you have ever seen of it somehow the impact is a bit lost. However once I saw the exhibition and learned how this was achieved I looked at it with renewed insight and was more able to truly appreciate the achievement that this sculpture is.
I do think that this is one of those sights that you have seen so often in posters, films and just generally around that you feel you have already seen it before you do get to see it in reality. Although it does look just as you see it in pictures you cannot fail to be impressed by the sheer size of those faces. The fact that they are part of the mountain itself and the clever way they have been carved so that the sun's shadows give the faces depth and a real quality is also something that you can really only see when standing in front of these great faces.
I think it is quite cheeky to say that they don't charge to go in but in reality everyone who goes right into the Great Viewing terrace area has to walk a very long way or pay the parking fee. However the $10 or so is an annual fee so if you wanted to revisit at different times of the year and lived nearby then the same fee would cover it. We also didn't have to pay as we had our 'America the Beautiful' national park annual pass.
ON OUR WAY
We left the monument area and went on with our explorations and made our way to Custer State Park nearby. On the way we passed a pull in with a great view of the monument in profile so of course we had to stop. The monument is so big that you can see it from many different places nearby and from different angles and from this distance of course it is free to view.
OTHER POSSIBLITIES
You can return later in the day at certain times of the year for a light and sound experience when the monument is lit and patriotic music is played for all to enjoy.
It is also possible to walk around the trail beneath the monument but this is quite a long trail and demanded more time and indeed probably more fitness than some of our party had at this time as my poor husband was suffering with a very sore foot and it was quite swollen too so our walking was limited to flat ground and not too far in any one go. Rock climbing and scree sliding was out for sure.
Thanks for reading and this review may be posted on other sites under my same user name.
©Catsholiday
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