In the wind, typing as I go

DAY 12 - It just gets more amazing as we go

(Animal has a portable power cell, so I'm recording things as they occur.)

Our ultimate goal today is Medicine Wheel, WY, however since we are in Montana we stopped at Pictograph Cave Parkand spent several hours doing the trail there. 

I spotted a bunny hanging out under a bush. Hope the pictures come out. Magnificent sights, but a very sad story about vandalism and erroneous conservation practices. As a result, much of the cave art is obscured or has disappeared. Still, an awesome sight.

I managed to touch the rock face in an area that was without archaeological significance. Touching rock faces is important to me, so I try not to hurt anything.

Stopped at a Perkins for lunch in Billings and right now we are heading for Medicine Wheel. In the parking lot I saw a sticker that I must share with you – it said SSS – Shoot, Shovel, Shut Up. (!!!)

We’re now off the Interstate and passing through ranch country – horses, hay bales, railroad tracks, corn fields, cattle. And off in the distance are mountains with glimpses of possible glaciers.

Passing through Bridger. Wondering if it’s in relation to Jim Bridger? Will check later.

Just a small observation – Montana definitely looks different from North Dakota. Can’t tell you why, probably has something to do with vegetation, but very quickly after we crossed the state line it was very evident that there was a geologic difference. 

Huh.

I try to imagine passing through this area in a covered wagon. Slow going. I think I’d go nuts.

Just passed into Wyoming. Have passed several lime processing plants. Lots of that around here. Interestingly they don’t make a big impact on the land from what I can see from the road.

Another note – have seen very few dead animals by the road, or in it. Just sayin’.

Big Horn Mountains in sight. Wow!

Stopped at the Big Horn Visitors Center just for a moment. Renewed water bottles and got clarification of our route. Onward.

Btw, we are actually not that far from Yellowstone and we’ve been shadowing the river since yesterday,

however, that park is on my bucket list and deserves more than a flyby.

Passing over the Big Horn River. Very low. Drought. Last time we saw the temp gauge was 99 degrees, but it’s a dry heat. Have to put a towel over my arm to prevent sunburn.)

Going up into the Big Horn Mountains. Awesome!!

And yes, it,s that Jim Bridger.

(We now resume our regular narration.)

For some reason I thought Medicine Wheel was... y'know, I don't know what I thought. The actuality is that it's at 10,000 feet up in the mountains. We drove in on a cattle road (yes, there were actual cattle on the road). We then parked and hiked about a mile and a half to the site. The wheel is a formation laid out in stone that's been dated to several thousand years, and was/is used by several different tribes. There is little consensus on it's actual historical function, or at least all of its functions.

It is on a high plateau, and as we walked we spied Pica and Marmots (rodentia). At one point we heard what we believe was an elk bellowing. There was still snow ice in a couple of places and I dug down a few inches to get a clean clump to taste. (Tasted like snow.)

Then we got to the wheel.

There are posts around it with ropes to keep people from crossing in without permission. On the ropes strips of cloth are tied, as are medicine bags, among other things. Bones, rocks, shells, crystals, feathers and other offerings are placed along the edges of the circle and on the posts.

It is a place that inspires prayer and contemplation.

There are other structures there including a grove of trees where people have left more strips of cloth, bones and artifacts of importance.

Animal found her way to a structure I call the Battlements because it looks like a set of castle turrets. She also discovered a cave that was more like a slit in the earth.

Again, there is little I can say that would give you any idea of how amazing this place is. I took a lot of pictures as usual, so hopefully, when I can upload them you will get some small idea of the magic of this place.

We were almost the last people to leave, and the sun was setting as we hiked out. In one spot we were spoken severely to by a critter we never got to see (probably one of the rodentia), but it was chirping from its hole and the echos made it sound closer. Fun stuff.

We drove down the mountain stopping at intervals to take pictures of the incredible sunset until we finally ran out of light. Then it was down the rest of the mountain in the dark. Happily there were very few people on the road since it was decidedly serpentine in the descent and I was more often in the middle of the road than in my own lane.

We debated driving through the night to get to Devils Tower, but instead got a room at a Wyndham hotel (Animal got a really good rate and they have internet service so I can catch up on my postings.)

It is now almost 1am and I need to stop writing because we're getting up early. It's a 3-4 hour drive and we want time to do stuff along the way if available. The intention is also to camp out at the Tower. I am SO looking forward to this.

It will probably be a day or so before I can post again.