Medicine Wheel

     We finally got everything together and took a trip in our popup camper.  You can read more about the makeover and problems we had at my previous posts: The Road Trip that wasn't and Popup Camper Makeover. We camped at Sibley Lake which is an hour drive up into the Big Horn mountains from our house.

     We went up on a Sunday afternoon and came back on Wednesday. The weather was good other then Tuesday was cloudy with rain in the afternoon. The temps at home were in the nineties while on the mountain it was in the seventies.  So a good time to be there. We had a nice camping spot.

     It took us several hours to set up. Not so much the camper itself but rather the awning. We had not done the awning before so we fumbled around trying to figure it out. But we finally got everything in order. 

     It was a good idea to take a short local trip before we take a longer one.  It gave us a chance to work out some of the bugs. To see what works for us and what doesn't. Over all things went well.

Here's our dog Wally, keeping an eye on us while we eat dinner. You never know when a morsel might come your way.

     It was fun and peaceful hiking around the area and I took lots of photos.

     One of the places we visited while on the mountain is somewhere we hadn't been in over twenty years, and that is the Medicine Wheel. It was about a twenty-eight mile drive from our camp site. The Bighorn Medicine Wheel is considered the most important of several medicine wheels in the American West. It is thought to be about 700 years old. It is a sacred place for Native Americans and is used by them for fasting and vision quests. 

     Native Americans continue to come here for prayer ceremonies and to leave offerings.

     There is a well marked sign where you turn off the highway on to a dirt road. You drive up to a parking area with a small ranger's station. From there it is about a mile and half walk up hill to the site which sits at almost 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). Because of the elevation the area is inaccessible much of the year because of snow pack. If you are unable to walk up hill that distance they do have limited parking at the top. But note it is a steep and narrow road.

     If you ever happen to be in Wyoming it is worth stopping to visit this sacred spot, it is interesting and you can definitely feel that it is a special place. If you are interested in learning more just Google Bighorn Medicine Wheel, Wyoming. 

A Rock chuck (Yellow-bellied marmont)

A thought to ponder: "Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect."                                   Chief Seattle

Participating in: Grand Social, Share Your Cup, Outdoor Wednesday, Through My Lens