Devil's Tower is almost sacred to the American Indians living in the area. Every year they close off climbing access in June in respect of their traditions. Prayer cloths can be found on random trees and bushes around the tower. I'm not superstitious but I do feel a bit intimated by the tower, more than other places that I've been.
At the Brewery in Ten Sleep, I met Chelsea, Jon, and Michael who were working their way to Devil's Tower the following day. Chelsea lives in Pennsylvania and has two more years of college left, and Jon & Michael are buddies in the Navy. They were kind enough to invite me to join them on their attempt to summit Devil's Tower on the Durrance route, which goes at 6 pitches. It was so much harder than I expected it to be, but it was fun to make it to the top. It took us about 6 hours from top to bottom. Those guys are moving on to South Dakota in the morning but hopefully I can find a partner for tomorrow!
The start of Durrance 5.7 (totally feels like 5.9+)
Jon and Me
Michael belays Jon on the 4th pitch
The summit of the tower
