The Bear's Lodge

AKA Devils Towers.....great 1.3 mile hike today with the Ranger learning all about this special place.  Interesting fact of the day.  A German hiker in the 80's climbed the tower in 18 minutes without any equipment.  No small feat for a 870 foot climb up a sheer rock cliff.  Lots of climbers on the mountain today.  Average time to climb 4-5 hours and 1 hour to return.  Keira this is a climb to fill your hearts desire.  You too Nolan!!!  The top of the mountain is about the size of a football field.  The Indian tribes in this area still hold religious ceremonies on the hill.  In the trees are various colors of cloth that the Indians sometimes wrap special gifts to their loved ones they wish to honor who have passed and when the cloths blow in the wind their prayers are sent to the heavens.  They use the colors of green for earth, blue for the sky, white, black, yellow, red  representing the colors of humans and the directions East,West,North and South.  Roosevelt made this a National Monument however in the treaty with the Indians this land was granted to them.  Custer somehow got in the way.  Guess he could not read!

A day of rest and enjoying the sights.  Tomorrow we head South to South East with one 19 mile section North to Spearfish.  No we are not spearfishing as I thought, we are going to Spearfish.  Thank you Mike an Ray for clarification.