Alone time
This past week I spent in Northern Wyoming and Southern Montana teaching classes in Powell and Gillette, WY. (I stayed a few nights in Cody, WY.) Though I met many wonderful new people several of whom encouraged me to do some of the things I did while not teaching, the alone time was much needed. Here’s the low-down on what I did.
Hell’s Half Acre
On the way up to Cody I made a short stop at Hell’s Half Acre, basically a big hole in the ground with many interesting rock formations. I don’t think any of my pictures do it justice.
Cody, WY
While in Cody, the town founded by Buffalo Bill Cody I mainly just walked around a lot. I did have dinner one evening at the Irma Hotel, named after Bill’s daughter, and did manage to grab this one great shot of some colorful clouds.
Heart Mountain
Inbetween Cody and Powell is the Heart Mountain Relcolation Center Memorial Park. This is where a large number of Japanese-Americans were held during WWII in one of the more embarrassing moments in American history. Here are pictures of the information sign and the memeorial.
Big Horn Canyon
On Wednesday I had the day off and was told to take a different route over to Gillette than the one MapQuest had given me. This could only be descrbed as the Scenic Route (14 Alt for those wanting to look it up,) and man was it worth it. I took two hikes, both just over the border into Montana, one quite flat to the rim of the canyon and another, much longer and hike up and away from the canyon proper. (Here’s a picture from the start of the hike, one looking down from the top, three miles later and a picture of the falls located at the top.) Oh, and here’s one more picture I took on the way back down the mountain. I just through it was a great shot.
Medicine Wheel
Three miles off 14A in Big Horn National Forest is a Native American Medicine Wheel. It’s quite amazing to look at, especially when you’re the only person for miles and there’s no sound but the wind.
Do Do Do Do Do
Last but not least, on Thursday night I was informed that Devil’s Tower National Monument was only an hour away so right after class I got myself down there since I’d been wanting to see it ever since first seeing Close Encounters of the Third Kind many years ago. It was worth the drive! Here’s a picture of it from the road leading up to the park and another from the base. One word of warning however, if you’ve done the hike around the base, the 1.5 mile paved one, and it’s 6pm in late October, you don’t have enough time to do the 2.8 mile trail hike. It’ll be way to daark for the last quater mile. Trust me, I know…
