Devil's Tower Trip pictures.

OK... so we drive all night, arrive at 4 AM,
the campground is full of bikers, so we crash next to
the picnic tables... but what a view in the morning!

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Sean and I break out the gear...
is it just me, or does this thing keep
getting bigger the closer we get!

This is Véro waiting to get on the climb.
This is the view just from the top of the Talus field...
we haven't even started the climb yet.

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OK Sean, you've had 3 hours sleep,
an apple and a cup of tea... Go to it!
Sean sends the off-width first pitch.

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Here Sean is topping out the second pitch, the crux pitch...
hmmm.. who was the brave cameraman who got up there first?

Caroline leads up the second pitch...

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Here comes the friendly neighborhood Park Ranger
catching a belay on Caroline's line.

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And finally Vero!
...poor girl was last the whole way...
cute smile though!

Caroline hangs out and tries to smile...
actually she was saying something like "Tabarnak!"
about the slow couple in front of us.

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Tough guy hanging out on a ledge...
BZzzzz...

Well, that's the summit marker... and Ranger Chuck Lindsey
setting up the new summit registar. In the background is Sean and Vero.
The top is about the size of a football field, but they advise against going long...
It is rumored that you can see 5 states from up here, not too shabby, eh?

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Excuse the fuzzy pic, I think Ranger Lindsey was in a hurry to get out of there.
In the backgound you can see the Missouri Butes... other volcano cones like devils
tower, just not as exposed yet. Come back in a couple of million years
and they'll be impressive too.

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Nice view... Elevator going down.... 1,000 feet down!

Long drive... long day... time to get the tents up.
A storm blew in that didn't bring much rain, but lot's
of wind and made for an interesting evening sky.

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I think the dust in the air made for a nice sunrise the next morning too...
This is the view from my tent door in the morning.

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The alpinglow on the side of the tower almost makes it
look like a painted movie backdrop... but it's real, all 900+ feet of it.

So... a second day of climbing begins...

Ahhh... new day, new routes. We're going up this line today.

Véro gets her first trad lead in.

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Worn out from the previous day, Caroline chooses to take
an easy route... a 160ft seriously sustained 5.9 WOW!

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This is impressive... it may look like it's
angling back, but it was damn close to vertical.

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Sean... smile and say Belay B****!
I shouldn't make fun, I wasn't going to lead it either!

Ahhh... back down, safe, sorting gear, with just the slight echo
of biker's questions in our ears, "Duuuude... didja go allll the way ta the top?"
Did I mention the Sturgis Bike Ralley was going on while we were there...?