...until classes start! The semester technically begins tomorrow (August 25), but the first day of class is Monday, August 31. Honestly, I'm ready to get started. I'm signed up for 11 credits (9 to stay full time): Fluid Dynamics for Geosciences (3 cred.), Tectonics Seminar (3 cred.), Process Geomorphology (4 cred.), and Geosciences Colloquium (1 cred.).
The first two courses are courses that apply to my interests. Fluid dynamics relates to the convection of the mantle and flow of rocks, as well as to streamflow. The tectonics seminar will be a study of the classic papers in tectonics. Process geomorph (surface processes) is not my thing at all, but course selection is slim pickings here, and I needed a course to stay full time. This was the most interesting of the choices, and may actually have some relation to my studies of the unroofing of deeper metamorphic rocks. Finally, there is the colloquium, which is essentially a department seminar, and I might as well get credit for going!
My three courses meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, making for two very busy days. In addition, I will be TA-ing a course taught by my advisor called "Rocks, Minerals & Resources," which is essentially mineralogy. The course is required for geology majors. There will be approximately 30 students taking the course, which meets three times a week (MWF) plus Wednesday afternoon for labs. I will be attending the labs, as well as most course meetings, and holding office hours. There are 30-ish students taking the course this semester, so there will be two lab sections to accommodate everyone. Approximately 30 students took the course last semester as well, which gives you an idea of the number of majors coming through the department.
In addition to my studies and TA duties, my advisor and I have begun to discuss preliminary research for the semester. She's looking at submitting a proposal in January, which would best be submitted with data to show what we're planning to do. This means I'll start looking at the available rocks and data, and will likely be collecting more samples to start processing.
Did I say I was ready for the semester to start?
Monday, August 24, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Have Cats, Will Travel
So, I wanted to let you all know how Joey and Addie survived the trip west. Turns out that they are fantastic travelers! Fortunately, with all of the trips between Bedford and the Cape, the cats were already acclimated to travel. Typically, they would snuggle together in their carrier, while Addie would sometimes cry and talk to me.
All of the advice I read was to avoid medicating cats for car travel, unless they absolutely freak out. Instead, I read a lot of recommendations for Feliway, a product that mimics the pheromones released by cats when they are rubbing their whiskers against everything. Apparently this pheromone is calming. Feliway is expensive, so I purchased a similar product (No-Stress from Pet Organics) at PetCo. I wasn't going to tranquilize or sedate my guys, but I wanted to have something just in case.
I also didn't like the idea of them traveling in a small pet carrier for six days straight. They needed something that was more spacious, something that would allow them to stretch out, stand up and change positions. I picked up a small dog crate for the purpose. About a week before leaving, I had done some laundry and failed to put away a blanket. The cats took to sleeping on this blanket right away, making it perfect to line the bottom of the crate - something comfortable that smells like home.
Thanks to my mom's insistence, I also picked up harnesses and leashes for both cats. They wore the harnesses a few hours at a time at home so that they would get used to them, and then they wore them 24/7 on the trip. The harnesses meant that if I needed to open the crate during the day, I had a way of securing the cats - wouldn't want them jumping out of a car at a rest stop in Iowa! The harnesses were also very useful when we arrived at our nightly hotel.
All of the hotels we stayed at were pet-friendly. There is a lot of information about pet-friendly hotels online. For simplicity, I went with the Choice Hotels group (Sleep Inn, EconoLodge, etc.). Not all locations were pet friendly, and the requirements varied: $10 per night; $10 per night per pet; $5 per night per pet; etc. In all, it was fairly reasonable. Except for the low-end motels (Rodeway Inn), we found that all accomodations were clean and friendly. As the pet owner, it is your job to provide food, litter box, etc., but that wasn't a problem for us. Most rooms we stayed in were either drive-up or otherwise on the first floor, making un/loading all of the supplies pretty easy.
So, we started the trip with the cats in their crate, which was secured with a short bungee cord in the backseat of my car. They had their blanket, which I sprayed lightly with the pheromone spray before we left (just in case). My sister (who had first duty in the car) reported they talked a good bit, but settled down once we hit the highway. It turns out that they just snuggled in and slept whenever we were driving - which was a lot! Most days involved at least 10 hours in the car!
When we arrived at our motel each night, we would unload everything, and then take the crate, with cats, into the room. I was very nervous about how the cats would do in the motels. I was worried about cleanliness (or that they might have accidents) and about whether they would get stuck under a bed or in another small space. When I took them out of their crate, I would make sure they saw the water, food, and litter, and then we'd attach leashes to their harnesses and let them explore. We kept an eye on them, and the leashes meant that we could retrieve them if they disappeared somewhere. Typically, after about 5 minutes, I would take the leashes off and let them get comfortable. They disappeared a couple of times (under a bed, behind a dresser), but it was never really a problem. For the most part, they were pretty wiped out at night (despite sleeping all day), and enjoyed taking turns sleeping with (or on) each of us.
In all, Addie & Joey were well-behaved and very impressive. And these lucky cats got to visit many of our country's best landmarks:
All of the advice I read was to avoid medicating cats for car travel, unless they absolutely freak out. Instead, I read a lot of recommendations for Feliway, a product that mimics the pheromones released by cats when they are rubbing their whiskers against everything. Apparently this pheromone is calming. Feliway is expensive, so I purchased a similar product (No-Stress from Pet Organics) at PetCo. I wasn't going to tranquilize or sedate my guys, but I wanted to have something just in case.
I also didn't like the idea of them traveling in a small pet carrier for six days straight. They needed something that was more spacious, something that would allow them to stretch out, stand up and change positions. I picked up a small dog crate for the purpose. About a week before leaving, I had done some laundry and failed to put away a blanket. The cats took to sleeping on this blanket right away, making it perfect to line the bottom of the crate - something comfortable that smells like home.
Thanks to my mom's insistence, I also picked up harnesses and leashes for both cats. They wore the harnesses a few hours at a time at home so that they would get used to them, and then they wore them 24/7 on the trip. The harnesses meant that if I needed to open the crate during the day, I had a way of securing the cats - wouldn't want them jumping out of a car at a rest stop in Iowa! The harnesses were also very useful when we arrived at our nightly hotel.
All of the hotels we stayed at were pet-friendly. There is a lot of information about pet-friendly hotels online. For simplicity, I went with the Choice Hotels group (Sleep Inn, EconoLodge, etc.). Not all locations were pet friendly, and the requirements varied: $10 per night; $10 per night per pet; $5 per night per pet; etc. In all, it was fairly reasonable. Except for the low-end motels (Rodeway Inn), we found that all accomodations were clean and friendly. As the pet owner, it is your job to provide food, litter box, etc., but that wasn't a problem for us. Most rooms we stayed in were either drive-up or otherwise on the first floor, making un/loading all of the supplies pretty easy.
So, we started the trip with the cats in their crate, which was secured with a short bungee cord in the backseat of my car. They had their blanket, which I sprayed lightly with the pheromone spray before we left (just in case). My sister (who had first duty in the car) reported they talked a good bit, but settled down once we hit the highway. It turns out that they just snuggled in and slept whenever we were driving - which was a lot! Most days involved at least 10 hours in the car!
Joey and Addie get used to their new accommodations.
When we arrived at our motel each night, we would unload everything, and then take the crate, with cats, into the room. I was very nervous about how the cats would do in the motels. I was worried about cleanliness (or that they might have accidents) and about whether they would get stuck under a bed or in another small space. When I took them out of their crate, I would make sure they saw the water, food, and litter, and then we'd attach leashes to their harnesses and let them explore. We kept an eye on them, and the leashes meant that we could retrieve them if they disappeared somewhere. Typically, after about 5 minutes, I would take the leashes off and let them get comfortable. They disappeared a couple of times (under a bed, behind a dresser), but it was never really a problem. For the most part, they were pretty wiped out at night (despite sleeping all day), and enjoyed taking turns sleeping with (or on) each of us.
In all, Addie & Joey were well-behaved and very impressive. And these lucky cats got to visit many of our country's best landmarks:
Addie & Joey at Niagara Falls.
Joey & Addie picnic near the Mississippi River.
Addie & Joey enjoy a South Dakota rest stop.
Joey & Addie relax during sunset at Badlands National Park.
Addie anticipates Devils Tower.
Addie & Joey at Devils Tower at last!
Joey & Addie come home to Missoula - free at last!
Looks like they had fun, doesn't it? In any case, once we arrived in Missoula it took them about a week to really start to feel comfortable and at home. The first morning we woke up, I think they thought they were going to have to get back in the crate! They're pretty satisfied here now. We're putting the window perch from our Bedford neighbor to good use now. We can watch the pigeons roosting (they're fed by my neighbor), or just relax in the sunny southern exposure. We have a great view of the "M" on Mount Sentinel from our windows as well (more on the M in a later post). Joey knows which drawer holds the cat food, and Addie is back to playing fetch - back to normal! We have also kicked into major snuggle mode, as the weather here has been rainy and cool (40s overnight!). Now that they're happy, I'm happy!
Monday, August 17, 2009
More of Montana (Part 2)
On my final day with my family in Montana, we decided to head north on Route 93 toward Flathead Lake, which I had been told is a very popular day trip. We realized that we would pass the National Bison Range, and we had read in the Sunday Missoulian about an open house at the Flathead Lake Biological Station (University of Montana). Our day was planned.
Not long after leaving Missoula, we entered the Flathead Indian Reservation, which is enormous. This reservation is home to the Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Oreilles tribes. "Flathead" is an unfortunate nickname, given by L&C before they had even met a single tribe member because of rumors of these peoples' practices and appearances. The National Bison Range is within the Reservation, as is much of Flathead Lake, the largest natural lake in the western United States.
The NBR was established as citizens became concerned for the rapidly vanishing bison. For a small ($5.00) fee, you can drive through the range on a 23-mile, one-way, dirt road. It is more than worth the fee! Signs instructed us to allow an hour for the drive, but we spent over two and a half hours! We were amazed at the people who drove through at the speed limit and spent little time watching the bison and enjoying the view. You could easily spend the day there, and I would happily make the drive back just to visit. The range is divided into many sections, and the bison herd (350-500 strong) is grazed in different sections throughout the year. The range is also home to deer, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, elk, and bighorn sheep.
I'm sure I cannot adequately capture the size and beauty of this area. As we drove in, we were awed by the climb up into the hills and our view of the Flathead River and surrounding mountains. We drove for some way without any sighting of bison or other creatures. We really had no idea what to expect; we thought we'd be lucky to glimpse the bison grazing. Our first sightings, in fact, were what we expected; views of bison on hills, grazing in smaller groups. Actually, I thought there would be one large herd. We took many photos, craning our heads for better views out the car windows (Bison are known to be fierce and agressive, especially during breeding season - now - and we were warned to stay near our cars, if we exited them at all). As we followed the road uphill on its many switchbacks, we found ourselves drawing nearer a herd. We watched the lead male scout out a path into the trees, the rest of the herd following at a distance. Just when we thought we'd lost them, we turned the next switchback and found ourselves looking right at the lead male (through a barrier fence). Soon the herd followed, and we could hear them snorting, grunting, and munching their way through the grass. Several young bison (light brown, and not more than 5 or 6 months old) were with the herd. While most grazed and were a little more independent, one young bison kept at its mother to nurse.
Not long after leaving Missoula, we entered the Flathead Indian Reservation, which is enormous. This reservation is home to the Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Oreilles tribes. "Flathead" is an unfortunate nickname, given by L&C before they had even met a single tribe member because of rumors of these peoples' practices and appearances. The National Bison Range is within the Reservation, as is much of Flathead Lake, the largest natural lake in the western United States.
The NBR was established as citizens became concerned for the rapidly vanishing bison. For a small ($5.00) fee, you can drive through the range on a 23-mile, one-way, dirt road. It is more than worth the fee! Signs instructed us to allow an hour for the drive, but we spent over two and a half hours! We were amazed at the people who drove through at the speed limit and spent little time watching the bison and enjoying the view. You could easily spend the day there, and I would happily make the drive back just to visit. The range is divided into many sections, and the bison herd (350-500 strong) is grazed in different sections throughout the year. The range is also home to deer, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, elk, and bighorn sheep.
I'm sure I cannot adequately capture the size and beauty of this area. As we drove in, we were awed by the climb up into the hills and our view of the Flathead River and surrounding mountains. We drove for some way without any sighting of bison or other creatures. We really had no idea what to expect; we thought we'd be lucky to glimpse the bison grazing. Our first sightings, in fact, were what we expected; views of bison on hills, grazing in smaller groups. Actually, I thought there would be one large herd. We took many photos, craning our heads for better views out the car windows (Bison are known to be fierce and agressive, especially during breeding season - now - and we were warned to stay near our cars, if we exited them at all). As we followed the road uphill on its many switchbacks, we found ourselves drawing nearer a herd. We watched the lead male scout out a path into the trees, the rest of the herd following at a distance. Just when we thought we'd lost them, we turned the next switchback and found ourselves looking right at the lead male (through a barrier fence). Soon the herd followed, and we could hear them snorting, grunting, and munching their way through the grass. Several young bison (light brown, and not more than 5 or 6 months old) were with the herd. While most grazed and were a little more independent, one young bison kept at its mother to nurse.
We were thrilled! It was more than we expected. And then we started up the next switchback. Ahead on the right was an enormous male bison in a dusty wallow at the edge of the road. No fence. You could tell that he was mature, mellow, and possibly used to gawking tourists. He certainly seemed to know how to put on a show. He watched us, and then flopped over, rolled in the wallow, and stood up, posing all the while. After we left him, he seemed to repeat the show for the cars behind us. Amazing!
I won't continue with the play-by-play of our time on the range, but we did enjoy it. We got out to walk on the quarter-mile Bitterroot trail. Little did we know a bison was just over the hill from where we walked - until we continued our drive! We also stopped at the "geologic display," a set of signs overlooking the valley and a view of the Mission Mountains (snow included). The signs described the end of the last ice age and how Glacial Lake Missoula filled the valley and then drained catastrophically multiple times. As we reached the highest point within the NBR and started back down nearly 10% grades, we passed the sign for the highest surface elevation of the once great lake. As I mentioned, there are many other large mammals found within the park. We did see pronghorn antelope, but nothing else.
After leaving the NBR, we continued north to Flathead Lake. We got to the Biological Station just before the open house ended (didn't expect to spend so much time with the bison). Still, we got to tour the building, look at the furs of many animal species (e.g. grizzly, wolverine, both imported from the Kamchatka Peninsula - they're rare or endangered here!), study the small and microscopic lake creatures, and read about another freak windstorm that destroyed much of the forest around the station. In this case, winds of a strong storm were funneled through a valley in such a way that the trees were pummeled in this location, but nowhere else. The station has a section of a tree trunk. By counting the rings, they've identified major historic events, right back to when the tree formed, more than 350 years ago. By the time we left the biological station it was 5:00 p.m., and we were all pretty tired. But not too tired to stop at a local farmstand and buy a bag of Flathead Cherries (var. Rainier). Flathead Cherries - any cherries grown in this region - are outstanding, and well worth the price!
After a great day of touring the area, we headed back to Missoula to pack up my mom and sister and prepare for the 4:30 a.m. wake up call to head to the airport. All I can say: that day sucked.
I won't continue with the play-by-play of our time on the range, but we did enjoy it. We got out to walk on the quarter-mile Bitterroot trail. Little did we know a bison was just over the hill from where we walked - until we continued our drive! We also stopped at the "geologic display," a set of signs overlooking the valley and a view of the Mission Mountains (snow included). The signs described the end of the last ice age and how Glacial Lake Missoula filled the valley and then drained catastrophically multiple times. As we reached the highest point within the NBR and started back down nearly 10% grades, we passed the sign for the highest surface elevation of the once great lake. As I mentioned, there are many other large mammals found within the park. We did see pronghorn antelope, but nothing else.
After leaving the NBR, we continued north to Flathead Lake. We got to the Biological Station just before the open house ended (didn't expect to spend so much time with the bison). Still, we got to tour the building, look at the furs of many animal species (e.g. grizzly, wolverine, both imported from the Kamchatka Peninsula - they're rare or endangered here!), study the small and microscopic lake creatures, and read about another freak windstorm that destroyed much of the forest around the station. In this case, winds of a strong storm were funneled through a valley in such a way that the trees were pummeled in this location, but nowhere else. The station has a section of a tree trunk. By counting the rings, they've identified major historic events, right back to when the tree formed, more than 350 years ago. By the time we left the biological station it was 5:00 p.m., and we were all pretty tired. But not too tired to stop at a local farmstand and buy a bag of Flathead Cherries (var. Rainier). Flathead Cherries - any cherries grown in this region - are outstanding, and well worth the price!
After a great day of touring the area, we headed back to Missoula to pack up my mom and sister and prepare for the 4:30 a.m. wake up call to head to the airport. All I can say: that day sucked.
More of Montana (Part 1)
Once we arrived in Missoula, I had three days to enjoy with my mother and sister before they had to return to the Eastern time zone. The first day was spent doing major unloading, returning the Budget truck, and napping.
On Tuesday, August 4 we did a little campus exploration, including a trip to the bookstore, and then we decided to check out Lolo Pass. We had planned on bringing lunch, but our start was slow. Still tired from all of that traveling! In any case, we headed south out of Missoula on Route 93 to Lolo, and then turned west on Route 12. This is the route followed by Lewis & Clark through the Bitterroot Mountains (and back again). (There is quite a bit of L&C info available - brochures, signs, etc., but I'm not familiar enough with the story to share any meaningful info. Sorry Nancy E-S!). We did stop at a few of the turn-outs to read the signs, and also learned about the "freak" windstorm that blew down many of the trees leading to the pass.
After leaving the visitor center, we headed back to Missoula. On the way we stopped to dip our toes in a small river. Excellent on a 90 degree day! Later on, back in Missoula, Susan and I headed to dinner. We tried the Iron Horse Brew Pub, one of many pubs and breweries in the area. It was excellent, but I doubt I'll go often on my TA salary! Missoula has many local breweries: Big Sky (makers of "Moose Drool" brown ale), Bayern ("Dancing Trout"), and Kettle House ("Fresh Bongwater" pale ale, I'm sorry to say). This will be a difficult place to be a geology grad student.
On Tuesday, August 4 we did a little campus exploration, including a trip to the bookstore, and then we decided to check out Lolo Pass. We had planned on bringing lunch, but our start was slow. Still tired from all of that traveling! In any case, we headed south out of Missoula on Route 93 to Lolo, and then turned west on Route 12. This is the route followed by Lewis & Clark through the Bitterroot Mountains (and back again). (There is quite a bit of L&C info available - brochures, signs, etc., but I'm not familiar enough with the story to share any meaningful info. Sorry Nancy E-S!). We did stop at a few of the turn-outs to read the signs, and also learned about the "freak" windstorm that blew down many of the trees leading to the pass.
The pass (5233') is located virtually on the Montana-Idaho state line. Add another state and a fourth time zone (Pacific) to our list for this trip! The Lolo Pass Visitor Center is in Idaho. It is a very nice rest stop and interpretive center. Wetland meadows are found here at the pass, and there's a nice, short trail through the area adjacent to the visitor center. There were many different plants and wildflowers to look at - my apologies again for not being able to identify them (Nancy E-S?). I need to pick up some field guides for the area. I have more photos, but this gives you the idea:
After leaving the visitor center, we headed back to Missoula. On the way we stopped to dip our toes in a small river. Excellent on a 90 degree day! Later on, back in Missoula, Susan and I headed to dinner. We tried the Iron Horse Brew Pub, one of many pubs and breweries in the area. It was excellent, but I doubt I'll go often on my TA salary! Missoula has many local breweries: Big Sky (makers of "Moose Drool" brown ale), Bayern ("Dancing Trout"), and Kettle House ("Fresh Bongwater" pale ale, I'm sorry to say). This will be a difficult place to be a geology grad student.
Monday, August 10, 2009
D-Day, or Destination Day (MA to MT: Day 6)
The sixth and final day of driving (August 2) was a fairly direct shot on I-90 from Billings to Missoula (just under 350 miles). We planned to arrive mid-afternoon, but, as always, sights and pit-stops along the way slowed us down just a bit. Still, we arrived by about 6:00 p.m. to find the landlady had left the key, a note, and flowers on my kitchen counter. The beautiful daisies, I might add, are from my very own backyard, described as an English/Oriental garden, complete with pagoda-style gate. I was very relieved to finally see the interior of the apartment. It is a second floor apartment just 2.5 blocks from campus, approx. 7 blocks to my building. The apartment is painted, freshly carpeted, with washer and dryer. Happily, it is fairly spacious and fairly peaceful.
Now that I have caught up on the trip, I will post again tomorrow and get you all up-to-date on my first week in Missoula.
p.s. Did I mention that we had to drive 60-65 mph across the country because of the gigantic truck? Yes, not only was it slow to pick up, but we found that it got its best mileage (~11.5 mpg) around 62 mph. It is no wonder we had so many long days!
Now that I have caught up on the trip, I will post again tomorrow and get you all up-to-date on my first week in Missoula.
p.s. Did I mention that we had to drive 60-65 mph across the country because of the gigantic truck? Yes, not only was it slow to pick up, but we found that it got its best mileage (~11.5 mpg) around 62 mph. It is no wonder we had so many long days!
A Monumental Day (MA to MT: Day 5)
Our fifth day of driving would take us from Rapid City, SD to Billings, Montana (approximately 400 miles). A monumental day, indeed, as on this day we visited more of the National Park System units, saw many interesting sights, and finally arrived in my new home state!
We were up and out early to race to Mount Rushmore National Memorial before check out. Driving up into the Black Hills was fun, and we certainly could have spent more time. We had just half an hour to see the sculptures. This was enough time to enjoy the area without doing any of the hikes up to the base of the hill. We found the Massachusetts and Montana state flags and plaques, I checked out the pegmatite boulders (pretty granite with big crystals), and we may have had enough time to take a few photos smooching George (gotta love perspective, and no, I won't post those here).
After racing back to Rapid City to clean out our room, grab the cats, and complete check out by 11:00 a.m., we were on the road again. And we couldn't resist driving into Sturgis to see what all the commotion was about. The rally didn't officially start for two more days, but the entire area was gearing up. The region (and I mean all of South Dakota, plus Wyoming, plus Montana, as far west as Missoula, as far as I can tell) really gets psyched up for this event. It is a major influx of tourists and tourist dollars, and everyone goes out of their way to enjoy and accommodate the bikers - yes, Steve K., you must go! We took the Sturgis exit, and drove the loop through town, taking photos until we reached I-90 again. Kids were selling lemonade, water, and soda; families were renting out tents in mini-cities on their lawns. If I had any bad-ass in me and didn't stick out like a sore thumb, I could see totally enjoying it!
We headed for Devils Tower National Monument (Wyoming) after leaving Sturgis. My first view of the tower was almost disappointing, but by the time we entered the park and drove up to the base of this ancient volcanic neck with columnar jointing, I was a happy geologist again! Native Americans believe that a ginormous (technical term) bear clawed the sides of the tower, leaving the pattern seen, but most geologists believe that the tower was created when lava plugged the neck of a volcano, cooled into the columnar pattern (like mudcracks), and then the Belle Fourche river eroded away the "softer" rocks of the volcano itself. So amazing. I'm glad to be relatively close to all of these sites, so to have the chance to go back and visit them in more detail. As we left the park, we stopped to watch members of one of the few protected prairie dog colonies do their thing.
From Devils Tower it was many more hours of driving across Wyoming, watching the deer and the antelope play. Mostly antelope. As we turned to the north, we watched the sun fade behind the Bighorn Mountains. We finally entered Montana under cover of darkness, arriving at our motel again near 11:00 p.m. The parking lot was nearly full, but, with the help of my trip partners, I did one well-executed parking job, if I do say so myself.
We were up and out early to race to Mount Rushmore National Memorial before check out. Driving up into the Black Hills was fun, and we certainly could have spent more time. We had just half an hour to see the sculptures. This was enough time to enjoy the area without doing any of the hikes up to the base of the hill. We found the Massachusetts and Montana state flags and plaques, I checked out the pegmatite boulders (pretty granite with big crystals), and we may have had enough time to take a few photos smooching George (gotta love perspective, and no, I won't post those here).
After racing back to Rapid City to clean out our room, grab the cats, and complete check out by 11:00 a.m., we were on the road again. And we couldn't resist driving into Sturgis to see what all the commotion was about. The rally didn't officially start for two more days, but the entire area was gearing up. The region (and I mean all of South Dakota, plus Wyoming, plus Montana, as far west as Missoula, as far as I can tell) really gets psyched up for this event. It is a major influx of tourists and tourist dollars, and everyone goes out of their way to enjoy and accommodate the bikers - yes, Steve K., you must go! We took the Sturgis exit, and drove the loop through town, taking photos until we reached I-90 again. Kids were selling lemonade, water, and soda; families were renting out tents in mini-cities on their lawns. If I had any bad-ass in me and didn't stick out like a sore thumb, I could see totally enjoying it!
We headed for Devils Tower National Monument (Wyoming) after leaving Sturgis. My first view of the tower was almost disappointing, but by the time we entered the park and drove up to the base of this ancient volcanic neck with columnar jointing, I was a happy geologist again! Native Americans believe that a ginormous (technical term) bear clawed the sides of the tower, leaving the pattern seen, but most geologists believe that the tower was created when lava plugged the neck of a volcano, cooled into the columnar pattern (like mudcracks), and then the Belle Fourche river eroded away the "softer" rocks of the volcano itself. So amazing. I'm glad to be relatively close to all of these sites, so to have the chance to go back and visit them in more detail. As we left the park, we stopped to watch members of one of the few protected prairie dog colonies do their thing.
From Devils Tower it was many more hours of driving across Wyoming, watching the deer and the antelope play. Mostly antelope. As we turned to the north, we watched the sun fade behind the Bighorn Mountains. We finally entered Montana under cover of darkness, arriving at our motel again near 11:00 p.m. The parking lot was nearly full, but, with the help of my trip partners, I did one well-executed parking job, if I do say so myself.
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