Final Travel Day

We set out from Rapid City on our way to Gardiner, MT for the last leg of our long journey.  On the way, about an hour and a half in, we made our last scenic tour at Devils Tower.  It was a huge pillar of igneous rock that suddenly rose out of the ground.  The native Americans of the region have a legend about its origin.  It is said that long ago seven girls were being chased by a bear.  They prayed for rescue and as the bear reached out for them they rose up into the air on a pillar of stone.  The bears claw marks can still be seen etched into the side of Devils Tower today (know to the Native Americans as Bear Lodge).  The girls' spirits rose into the sky and became the stars of the Big Dipper. We went for a short hike part way around the tower and came to a look out spot were you could see remnants of a hand-made ladder that the first man to climb to the top used.  It was simply a rope with wooden stakes for climbing the whole way (somewhere around 1500 feet).

Artists rendering of the Native legend

Also at Devils Tower was Prairie Dog Town! Home to tons of little prairie dogs.  They were jumping in and out of their holes, and running across the road to socialize with each other. They barked at each other to warn about us since our big red car was driving through their houses.  We even got a pamphlet about all their habits and lifestyle choices.  Though prairie dogs used to live in all areas of the Great Plains, they have been reduced to just a few "settlements" like the one at Devils Tower that we saw.

We arrived at Gardiner, Montana just as the rain did.  Luckily we had a little time to unpack, but by the time we found a little pizza place, it was raining steadily.  We spent the rest of the evening relaxing in the room.  The next morning when we woke up, it was snowing! And there was an elk outside our window.  She was cute.  Since it was snowing we decided to head in to Yellowstone to enjoy the wintery scenery, in April... The park looked very picturesque and peaceful, as there were not many visitors this time of year. 

First views of the Rockies from the Jeep window thru Montana

We relaxed in the room for the rest of the night, and enjoyed some Chinese take-out for what might be our last Chinese food for the next six months.  Of course, it was delicious.  Mike kept seeing the local wildlife out of our hotel window, and he decided to go outside and try to get some close up pictures of the mule deer grazing, I will let him tell the story..." Well, there I was staring them deers down.  They looked at me and I just looked right back.  Then I took some photographs of them deers and they kept on eating grass and lookin' at me.  They moved on behind someone's house so I decided to track em down.  Once again we had a starin' contest for a few minutes just 20 yards away from each other.  By that time I was cold so I came back inside."