Winter Sunshine

Winter Sunshine
Winter Sunshine in the Desert

Friday, September 14, 2012

The Big Horn Mountains and the Medicine Wheel

August 4

The Bighorns from I-90 On the border between Montana and Wyoming, rising to the west of Interstate 90, are the Big Horn Mountains. Referred to locally as “The Bighorns”, and source of the Little Bighorn River, I still haven’t really figured out whether they are the Big Horn Mountains, or the Bighorn Mountains.  Either way, bighorn sheep live in these mountains and they do have big horns.

Living near Spokane and Coeur d’Alene for nearly three decades, Interstate 90 was my most often traveled route east, and many times I passed these gorgeous mountains wishing I could see them up close.  I once knew someone who traveled there yearly for hunting, and a very long time ago (in 1971) I traveled across the southern part on the way from Yellowstone to Rapid City.  The memories stayed with me, and as we planned this trip I knew that I wanted the Bighorns to be part of our explorations of this part of Wyoming. 

day 14_022DSC_0060 There is something mystical and mythical about this mountain range, considered sacred to the Sioux, the Crow, and the Cheyenne for millennia. The centerpiece is the Cloud Peak Wilderness, with a network of hiking trails to remote areas and alpine lakes.  On this trip, I knew we wouldn’t have a chance to explore the roadless wilderness, but I planned for three nights in Buffalo so that we could at least explore the three scenic byways that traverse the range, US Routes, 14, 14a, and 16.

view west toward Dayton from the Big Horn Mountains Scenic Byway 14Unlike the Black Hills, created when a pluton of magma pushed up through the earth, the Bighorns were created during the Laramide Orogeny, the same geologic event that built the Rocky Mountains. Thousands of feet of sedimentary rock laid down when the landscape was covered by an inland sea were uplifted to build these gorgeous mountains. 

The highest peaks are in Wyoming, and Cloud Peak itself is 13,167 feet high. Although there are many evidences of past glaciations, Cloud Peak is home to the only remaining active glacier in the mountain range.   Much like the east side of the Sierras, the east flank of Steens Mountain in Oregon, and the east side of the Rockies, the east facing side of the Bighorns rises abruptly from the plains with dramatic, breathtaking views.

one of my favorite parts of Wyoming...Geology signsWhen we embarked on our Saturday morning journey, we were thrilled to see that the skies were completely clear all around us except for a low gray-brown pall far to the east. From our route north on I-90 toward Sheridan, we could see Cloud Peak sparkling in the morning sunlight.  Highway 14 leads west across the northern part of the range from the small town of Dayton, climbing directly up from the foothills at Dayton, and the views were breathtaking.  I discovered one of my favorite parts of Wyoming travel were the clearly marked signs documenting the name and age of each of the geological formations as we crossed them.

a photo of Cloud Peak, as close as I will get on this tripBy the time we reached the Bighorn Visitor Center near the junction of 14 and 14a I felt thoroughly educated in the geology of the Bighorns. The visitor center was well done, with my favorite 3D maps of the mountain range, and many educational exhibits telling of the human and natural history of the mountains.  Hanging over all, in the center of the dramatic timber frame building, were photographic panels of Cloud Peak, majestic in her isolation.

The Medicine Wheel in the Bighorn MountainsSomehow, in all these years, I had never heard of the Bighorn Medicine Wheel, and yet after talking about it I have discovered that many of my friends have been there.  Having never even heard of it before this day in the mountains though, made it all the more special to me. 

We drove the high winding road to the summit before finding the side road to the Medicine Wheel site and the head of the trail to the structure.  There is a road that goes out there, unless you have a documented disability, you must walk the short 1.5 mile trail to the site.  Later we laughed with friends who had been there, since it is one of those trails that seems to be uphill both ways!    Maybe it is because of the elevation, who knows. 

the Bighorn Medicine Wheel is at the top of the mountain in the center of the photo The walk is beautiful, with views in all directions to the plains to the east, the Wyoming desert to the west, and the canyons to the north. The Medicine Wheel is at nearly 10,000 feet near the summit of Medicine Mountain.  It is built from stones gathered from the surrounding area, with a circular rim, 28 spokes extending from the rim to the center, and a series of seven cairns. It was built between 700 and 1200 AD and has been used since then by many local tribes for prayer, fasting and visioning.  To this day, Native Americans come to the wheel to pray and for ceremonies, and the enclosure is hung with prayer flags of all sorts. 

day 14_064DSC_0106An astronomer studied the wheel in the 70’s and published his discoveries, showing that the cairns were aligned in the direction of the summer solstice sunrise and sunset.  He also found that the rising points of the stars Sirius, Aldebaran, and Rigel are marked by other cairn pairs. More information about this interesting study of the wheel can be found here.

Walking to the Wheel, standing in the high place where so many others have stood, was an experience I won’t soon forget.  I felt much as I did when standing at the Mnidra paleolithic temple on Gozo, and in the Grotto of St Paul on Malta, and in the Hagia Sophia in Turkey.  Sacred places are made sacred for so many reasons, but this one felt as sacred as any I have visited.

playtime with Roger and Jackson in the Bighorn MountainsTalking with the ranger at the site was fascinating.  She enjoys her stint on the mountain, living there for the summer months.  She told us that the day before had been fogged in completely in the morning and then smoked in completely in the afternoon.  One more time we were blessed by the wind and weather gods for incredible views of an incredible place.

Shell Falls on the Big Horn River  We lunched near the summit back on the highway, and then drove down the steep canyon to the dull brown of the Wyoming badlands before reaching Worland and the eastern route, Highway 14, back up over the mountains. The road climbs up the canyons to Shell Creek Falls, with paved trails and overlooks, lots of interpretive signs, and a visitor center.  Much to our dismay, however, our dogs couldn’t even walk on any of the trails, and we found it hard to find a place where they could relieve themselves.  Again, we appreciated traveling in pairs so that one pair could go see the falls while the other took care of the dogs back at the cars.  By this time in the afternoon, the sun was hot! 

getting ready to go, Nancy and Roger are a great teamContinuing over the mountain back to our junction near the visitor center gave us views of the rolling summits of the Bighorns, with broad areas of dark conifers accented by green high mountain meadows.  We even saw a bit of the Cloud Peak Wilderness to the south.  By the time we drove back down the steep east face of the range, it was late afternoon. All of us were too tired to even think of stopping in Sheridan, a town that according to everything I have read is a place worthy of its own visit.

Instead we ambled back to our camp in Buffalo, appreciative of the grassy open spaces, the big shady trees, and the comfortable sites that were far enough from the highway that we didn’t have a lot of road noise.  I can highly recommend Deer Park Campground in Buffalo.  Our three nights there were perfect for the time we had to explore the surrounding area.  The Bighorns were on my bucket list, and I finally got to see them.  There are a lot more photos of this great day including the Bighorn Mountains and the Medicine Wheel here.day 14_194DSC_0237

 

11 comments:

  1. Looks like the deer is thinking of going the wrong direction. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. What the ancient cultures managed to do with what we perceive to be limited knowledge never fails to amaze. I felt like you did at the Medicine Wheel when we stopped at the Aramu Muru near Lake Titicaca. So peaceful, and a great place that invited meditating. I've pinned this to my board for when we get out West.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I had never heard of the Medicine Wheel either. I think that would be worth the drive and hike to see.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for the information on the Medicine Wheel. I definitely want to visit there.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I want to get out and explore on foot every time I see one of those clearly marked signs documenting the name and age of each of the geological formations! Of course that isn't possible in one lifetime, darn it - my feet hurt just thinking about it. Amazing how much we can see, and yet how much we have missed, as in the Medicine Wheel. Thanx for all the great info.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sue, your description(s) and photographs of your travels to the Medicine Wheel are spectacular! I have been fascinated by the Medicine Wheel since I was a kid but have yet to visit. Like you, I have been through the area but never had the time to stop. I can see now that its time to rectify that error. Great post!

    John and Ellen
    connectedtothevinephotography.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nice looking campground you stayed at - thanks for the info on that. The Medicine Wheel is pretty interesting stuff. It's always hard to imagine how ancient cultures figured out so much with such rudimentary tools or knowledge. It's really amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Another great adventure. I must find me a camper of some kind as soon as I get back to Tucson. I am missing way to much of life.

    ReplyDelete
  9. There you are at another of my MUST see places. My trip to that area was so overshadowed by braking my ankle that I didn't get to Little Big Horn or the Medicine Wheel. I did get to Bear Butte though and it was beyond description. I can hear in your post that same sacred feel at this medicine wheel. Wonderful pictures!

    Thanks so much for this post. Only wish I could have been there with you. Our ancient cultures around the world were in many ways more civilized and advanced than we. I think they are very underestimated since in some many places their footprints were obliterated.

    I've got the campground on my travel plans. Heartfelt thanks for scouting it all out for me.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think I need to send you money in payment for all the neat things I've learned from your post!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I don't think I was aware of the Medicine Wheel before & if we ever get up that way we will for sure go there. It is always so fascinating to be standing on the very spots where so much of history has taken place. Sometimes, it is if the very stories, legends, & people are communicating. And, it is that which makes these places feel so quietly special.......

    ReplyDelete

I love your comments, they add so much, but to avoid ridiculous amounts of spam, I will be moderating comments