Day 2, July 20: Spearfish to Big Horn National Forest/Wyoming:

Day 2, July 20: Spearfish to Big Horn National Forest/Wyoming:

I slept with no rain fly on the tent last night because of the warm temperatures. Two results: I had to use my blanket during the night, and I awoke to the early morning sun coming through the trees and across the creek. I doubt I’ll need an alarm set very often on this trip.

I’ve blamed late starts on my traveling partner in the past, and I realize now I’m at least partially to blame. Even waking shortly after dawn, it was 9:30 before I left my campsite. Breakfast, coffee, shower, break camp. Not a quick process this morning. But it was a lovely morning and I had no time schedule, so what the hell.

I decided to visit Devil’s Tower. This wasn't on the agenda originally, but because I have two extra days, I thought I’d check it out. Driving there, the heat of the day still a few hours away, I kept the windows down and stayed under the speed limit. It is such a change to not be trying to get somewhere by sometime and be running late. Watching western South Dakota shift into eastern Wyoming was a joy –Black Hills National Forest extends into Wyoming, but it does have a different look.

And coming around a curve, suddenly Devil’s Tower looms in the distance. It’s a surprise, and the powers that be realize its impact and they’ve conveniently put a roadside pull off with information just after it comes into sight. I pulled off, and so did the couple on the motorcycle behind me. They were a couple in their 40s or 50s and were from Minnesota on their honeymoon. We chatted for a few minutes, then they hopped on the bike and continued west. I stood a few more minutes, enjoying the solitude to take in the view, and then followed.

I realize how much I enjoy solitude. My dear friend Jesse has helped me to realize the value of taking in an experience silently, and not feeling the need to articulate everything I’m feeling or experiencing. It’s a gift he’s given me, and it’s allowed me to find a new level of joy. And since I no longer feel the need to tell someone at the moment I’m experiencing something, I have no feelings of longing for another human being. That doesn’t mean I don’t have pangs of loneliness already. Tonight, while I was setting up camp, a couple rode by on their motorcycle, she carrying a pack of firewood, and they pulled into a nearby campsite. It reminded me of all the times I’ve worked to set up camp, cook dinner, and share the experiences of the day with a traveling companion, and for just a little while I wished I had someone here with me. But that feeling has passed, and I’m enjoying a fire (albeit a smoky one as I have lousy wood for it), and the time to write and read.

It’s funny how life seems to prepare us for exactly what we need. I can see so clearly at times how so many experiences, or skills, or knowledge I’ve accumulated come together to give me what I need to handle situations as they arise. The skills I’ve learned from Jesse on camping and survival have already come in handy. This morning, I suffered my first injury – a splinter deep in my finger – and because I happened to read a Backpacker magazine article on what to include in a first aid kit, I had a safety pin to dig the sliver out. And I’ve noticed other things arise, and I’m prepared, not through any intentional planning or preparing on my part, but simply because my life had fed me up those experiences. It reminds me of John Irving’s book “A Prayer for Owen Meany.” His character practices and practices a certain move throughout the entire book – for most of his life – and suddenly, at the end, he has to perform a feat that incorporates that move exactly. In most of our experiences it’s not that dramatic, but the effect is the same. We are prepared by gathering the little pieces of experience along the way, never knowing how the piece will fit in the puzzle, or even if it will, and then wham, the piece falls exactly into place. That’s what this trip has already begun to feel like.

Prairie Dog Town on the hike around Devil's Tower

The terrain varies so around the Tower

One last note for the day – the hike at Devil’s Tower was amazing. I chose the outlying trail that is approximately four miles long, and enjoyed it immensely. Parts of the trail were extremely hot and open to the full force of the sun, and parts climbed rapidly and relentlessly. But the varying terrain and views were well worth the discomfort – something I’m finding in common with many hiking experiences.

I’m camping in Big Horn National Forest tonight. It took three campgrounds to find an open spot, but it’s lovely here and I’m cozy and comfy. I’m heading north into Montana tomorrow, and am looking forward to the next day’s adventure. The goal is to hike some every day, unless I have a rush to get somewhere. I’m not sure if I’ll hike here in Wyoming and this forest, or if I’ll drive first to somewhere in Montana. Either way, I’ll look for a good hike. What I see hiking I’ll never see from a car, and I’ve become addicted to those experiences.  Not a terrible addiction, I don’t believe. I’ve had worse.