In Custer are beautiful rock formations and we drove the highway named Needles Highway. There is one that has a large hole in it which makes it look like a giant needle, thus the name.
We are saddened by the massive amount of pine trees that are standing dead. A beetle infestation is killing thousands of them and there is seemingly, nothing anyone can do about it. In many areas dead trees have been taken down and stacked for burning in winter when weather conditions are right. This will help in the future with forest fires by removing some of the kindling. But it seems like a never-ending project that humankind will never totally get accomplished.
Of course, shopping was on the menu in Custer and I purchased a beaver skull and a bear skull to add to Eric's skull collection. I especially liked the beaver because of the large yellow/orange teeth. I know he will be tickled to have them!
I loved all the tunnels we are driving through. Some are one lane and we honk before we enter in case someone is coming the opposite direction. Here is Dan and I posing inside one of them.
Piling back in the church van we headed west to our next destination which was Devil's Tower. It is awesome and huge! What must the pioneers have thought when they came across this awesome formation? It boggles the mind! I was especially curious about what was on that very flat top so when I got my passport stamped in the visitor's center, I read all about it. The top is nearly the size of a football field. It is mostly flat with a slight dome. There are some grasses and small shrubs growing there and an occasional chipmunk, squirrel, or snake makes their way to the top. No how would a snake climb all the way up there? Maybe they are dropped there by raptors.
Devil's Tower is a favorite climbing spot and many people do this climb. However, during the month of June, the Native Americans make pilgrimages here and leave prayer cloths attached to trees. Because of this, most climbers do not do Devil's Tower during the month of June out of respect for the tradition and I did not see a single climber on the tower.We ate a lovely picnic lunch on the grounds amongst the pines and enjoyed an ice cream cone as we mugged for the camera at he sign for the tower. Yummy!
The drive to our next destination of Greybull, Wy was long and we stopped a few times to take pictures and mug for the camera. Lots of beautiful wildflowers were in the roadsides and we were able to identify some of them with an app on Gin's phone. WePretty cool!
Settling in or cabins in Greybull, we found them to be a bit smaller than before but clean and comfortable. Supper was a polish sausage, peppers, onions combination and we scarfed! It was time to do laundry and I did three loads between all of us. There was an inconsiderate lady who wanted to hog all the machines and I had to politely, but firmly tell her that I would be using two of them. She countered with she had four people she was doing laundry for and I replied I was doing laundry for seven! I won and got my two machines so it took longer than it should have but I got it done.
I did not have internet service that night and was getting reports via phone how things were going at home. It seems a lot of damage occurred in Orion and surrounding area but my house was not in the path of destruction. Thankfully, Greg is home holding down the fort and caring for Vega and Vali.
Tomorrow we will arrive in Yellowstone! I can hardly wait!
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