We originally planned to head north from the Black Hills to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, but the weather there was supposed to be terrible and we were anxious to get moving on our bus build, so we decided to roll Roosevelt into our later itinerary and drive across Wyoming to my parent’s house instead. A perk of the remodeled route: a stop at Devil’s Tower National Monument.
Devil’s Tower is a geological wonder with its columns of igneous rock, and forms a dramatic part of the landscape, rising as it does from the mostly flat surrounding fields. It’s significant to NPS history as America’s first National Monument, and significant as a holy place for several Native American tribes. But what I remember most from our short visit there is what a terrible mood I was in.
Many days I manage to get everyone dressed except myself.
I don’t remember why or whether anything happened to trigger my grumpiness. Lack of sleep was probably involved (always, always there is a lack of sleep). However it happened, my mood when we arrived at the site can basically be described as supremely pissy.
But we set off on the 1.3 mile trail around the base of the tower. Margi walked herself and there were many stops to look at sticks, to collect sticks, to stack sticks, etc., so it was slow going. And by about halfway around the trail, not only was I no longer mad, I was downright happy and my family liked me again.
So the moral of the story: nature is magic.
The end.
