Why Die? Why Not Wyoming?

So Wyoming has these road signs that say "Why Die?" and "Think!". I think that they mark where crashes killed people, because at times there is a cluster of the signs in one spot. Montana marks such places with a small, white cross on a short pole, sometimes with clusters of the crosses mounted on one pole. In New Mexico, people build small flower covered crosses and shrines. Seeing them as we pass definitely reminds me of memento mori. Remember the you will die; we all will. It's the one promise of life. It reminds me to live every moment, because it could be the last time. The last road trip, the last coffee. Every time I do something, it could be the last time. We mostly don't notice the last time we do something. I don't remember the last time I hugged my Grandma, or the last time that I slept in my childhood bedroom. When I do know that I'm doing something for the last time, it seems more vivid. Like the last time I ate at a favorite restaurant when I knew it was closing forever; the food tastes better, the people laugh louder, the company makes a big impression. Everything feels more. I am trying to notice that feeling every time I do anything, like it could be the last time.

Why Die?

Think!

The Montana version.

Wyoming is so big. It seems easy to notice everything here like it is the whole world. We stayed near Devil's Tower National Monument in a campground with a great view of the monolith. Something about seeing it in real life feels surreal. I've seen so many photos of it, and it's been featured in two of my favorite movies (Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind and Paul), so seeing it and standing beneath the Bear Lodge is vivid like a last time. Who knows, maybe I will never have the chance to see it again. We arrived early enough to have an easy time parking. It's nice to not need to find a space for the trailer and just park the truck. We took a quick look in the National Park Store, I got water, and we set off on the Tower Trail. This trail is not long, only about one mile, but it goes around the base of the tower, with views of the long rock columns of phonolite porphyry, an igneous rock that is rare.

First glimpse of the tower.

View from our campground.

Devil's Tower with low clouds. It feels lonely.

Campsite cottontails.

The river canyon behind our R-Pod filled with fog.

The canyon fog-free.

I can hear the pipe organ playing in my mind.

Stone and pine.

The long columns are so distinctive.

Selfie with the Devil's Tower.

View down to the river valley.

Lunch spot on the tailgate at the trailhead.

A quiet corner of the National Monument.

Big views.

The trail. Russ takes a photo.

Selfie from the trailhead parking area.

Hiking back to the truck.

My favorite side.

We just sat here in awe and silence.

Prairie dog town next to the exit road.

Getting back on the freeway and heading toward home seems both easy and a little sad. We are moving through Wyoming with purpose now, not staying more than one night in any place. We stayed in Billings and Butte, but didn't do any sightseeing in either place, other than restaurants. We enjoyed the scenery as it flashed past the truck windows.

Long view on a long road.

I love the painted train cars.

Beers on tap at Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom.

Waiting for beer.

The clouds and sky fill our windshield.

Threatening clouds on the horizon.

The temperature falls to freezing every night. I'm glad to be plugged into shore power and snug inside the trailer. I dream of the Bear Lodge and ask "Why Die?".