It snowed a few inches the night before, but little remained on the ground by the time we arrived.
Devil's Tower is popular with rock climbers and the park service requires anyone going above the rock pile in the foreground to register in the office.
The kids climbed on the rocks and explored while I used quaking aspen trunks and ponderosa pine trees to frame the Tower.
There were a few clouds when we first got there, but only sun and blue skies for the rest of the afternoon.
Geologists say Devil's Tower is an igneous intrusion made of cooled magma. Essentially the core of a volcano that didn't erupt.
There's a 1.3 mile paved loop trail around the base of the formation.
The trail affords both obstructed and unobstructed views of the 867 foot rock formation.
Devil's Tower is an important cultural and spiritual place to many Native Americans.
According to the national park service website " a sense of place dominates the religion of American Indians, as opposed to the sense of time that dominates many western religions. Instead of a focus of chronological events and the order in which they are presented, American Indian religion focuses on a place and the significant events that are connected with that location. Although western religions have their important places, they do not hold the level of sacredness associated with the important places of American Indian religions."
After spending time there, it's easy to see why the location holds such importance.
With a clear sky, I focused on shadows and light.
All in all, another good night.
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