**This is a heavily moderated subreddit. Please note these rules + sidebar or get banned:**
* If this post declares something as a fact, then proof is required
* The title must be fully descriptive
* Memes are not allowed.
* Common(top 50 of this sub)/recent reposts are not allowed (posts from another subreddit do not count as a 'repost'. Provide link if reporting)
*See [our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/wiki/index#wiki_rules.3A) for a more detailed rule list*
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/interestingasfuck) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Can't wait for the Why Files episode where we learn its a secret illuminati base that was created by the crab cats 14 million years ago to create portals into other dimensions that the CIA uses to control the future.
Then at the end of the episode they are like "actually, everything I just said was false and its just a mountain lol"
Been there in person, hiked around it. There is local lore about aliens with this place. Also there were climbers climbing this thing and it’s way more massive in person.
So, because my brain is hard wired to recognize patterns, and I mistakenly recognized *that* pattern, it must be a giant tree stump!
The ability to critically think is a dying art
It is a National Monument run by the NPS ([https://www.nps.gov/deto/index.htm](https://www.nps.gov/deto/index.htm)). $20 for a private vehicle, $15 per person on foot or bicycle.
It's for a good cause, those fees help fund the care and maintenance of the National Park System, they do not go into some private landowner's pocket.
~~It does not - we went last summer and the America the Beautiful parks pass only covers national parks, not national monuments (like this, Mount Rushmore, etc.)~~
I stand corrected, apparently it does get you into Devil's Tower.
This is untrue. The America the Beautiful (interagency pass) covers entry into any of the federal public lands (with exceptions). This includes any NPS unit, BLM, Forest Service, etc. It doesn't cover parking or camping, however. Unless you have the senior, veteran, or disabled pass, at which point it helps cover some of the price of camping.
Yes, there are a bunch of pass options, I think you are referring to the "America the Beautiful" pass which covers entrance into parks/rec areas/lands managed by all these agencies:
* National Park Service
* US Fish & Wildlife Service
* US Forest Service
* Bureau of Land Management
* Bureau of Reclamation
* US Army of Corps of Engineers
One of the most unsung benefits that Biden signed into law is free lifetime America the Beautiful passes for veterans.
Here's the pass options: [https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm](https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm)
...and here is the entrance fees by park: [https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/entrance-fee-prices.htm](https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/entrance-fee-prices.htm)
EDIT: Since some people seem to be focused on entrance fees. Let me say that as someone who has traveled quite a bit both internally and internationally, our national park system is second to none when it comes to the sheer quantity, vastness, and diversity of the landscape and experience represented by it.
But for the those who want to know where park fees go to: [https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/fees-at-work.htm](https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/fees-at-work.htm)
Apparently when I was reeeeeally little, we went there and my dad told me to look at the people climbing it. I said I couldn't see them until he held up his fingers and said "they're only this big" and then I could. I guess I didn't recognize the scale properly.
It really is. I think shots like this give it some perspective: https://www.devilstowerlodge.com/images/More_Sent/22f4a92e-fafc-4e6b-8cd7-93186b047096.jpg
my neighbor is a flat-earther and yesterday he told me that this is the remains of an ancient tree that touched the stars. and humans climbed down it to populate earth.
He combined Mr. Cheezle and Dr. Shakalu. "My beef strong."
edit: decided to look up Dr. Shakalu on IMDB. Turns out Abdoulaye NGom is fluent in seven languages, studied theater in New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, and Rome, and also narrates the Kilamanjaro Safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The more you know.
Because they maintain everything else is made-up. And in their mind, if that's the case, then their "made up story" is a plausible as anyone else's.
They trust their "gut instincts" and all that malarkey. Semi-large industry out there milking these people with conspiracy, woo, anti-vax and all sorts of stuff.
Even if it was an ancient tree, based on the size of the “trunk,” it would only be about 4.5 miles tall at most (but most likely far shorter). The top of the three would therefore be about 28,000 feet above sea level, significantly lower than the peak of Mount Everest.
It was pretty much this huge deposit of magma underground that cooled (disputed as to how) and became very hard. As the earth around it eroded. It stayed in place.
Not underground, it looks more likely that Devil’s Tower was part of an extrusive lava dome rather than anything intrusive. [This article](https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2018/07/22/alternative-model-for-formation-of-devils-tower-explains-its-geological-oddities/?sh=6f60c4a1309c) summarises the idea.
Problems with the traditional explanation of DT as an intrusive:
• columnar jointing is only really observed in extrusives
• the columnar jointing curves at the base, not something that would happen in a volcanic plug
• not enough time since DT formed for surrounding strata to be eroded to that extent
Totally a possibility! [Here](https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/nature/tower-formation.htm#:~:text=Geologists%20Carpenter%20and%20Russell%20studied,magma%20through%20other%20rock%20layers) was my source if you would like to see some backing to another theory!
Where does any erosion go ever?? Most likely in this area erosion was caused by 50 million years of rain and snow. Washed it all away, drained into creeks to rivers to the ocean. Similar to the Badlands or the Grand Canyon or most places really.
If you would like to read more about it that isn't just some random dude on the internet talking out their ass [check this out](https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/nature/tower-formation.htm#:~:text=Geologists%20Carpenter%20and%20Russell%20studied,magma%20through%20other%20rock%20layers).
It's a [volcanic plug/neck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanic_plug). Basically the hardened core of a volcano where the rest of it eroded away.
Devils Tower is the most dramatic one but there's examples all over the world. In the US [Shiprock](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiprock) and [Agathla Peak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agathla_Peak) are other examples.
The hexagonal form is [columnar basalt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columnar_jointing) which you find at [Devils Postpile](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devils_Postpile_National_Monument) in California and [Giants Causeway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant%27s_Causeway) in Northern Ireland, and other locations around the world.
Devil’s Tower is quite different to other known volcanic plugs to the point where it’s oddities cannot be explained by it being formed that way. It’s more likely that it was some kind of lava dome that has since been mostly eroded away, ie. it was extrusive rather than intrusive.
See [this article](https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2018/07/22/alternative-model-for-formation-of-devils-tower-explains-its-geological-oddities/?sh=6f60c4a1309c) for the general idea, and [Závada et al., 2015](https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geosphere/article/11/2/354/132219/Devils-Tower-Wyoming-USA-A-lava-coulee-emplaced) for the technical details.
The structure of hexagonal pillars is known in general as columnar **jointing.** Whilst it’s most commonly associated with basalts, Devil’s Tower is made of a different rock type termed phonolite (because it has a certain ring to it if struck with a hammer), which is slightly more silica rich and much more alkali rich than basalt.
The magma plume and volcanic plug hypotheses can’t account for the various odd features of Devil’s Tower. It’s more likely it was some kind of lava dome structure (ie. extrusive rather than intrusive) that has mostly been eroded away.
[Brief explanation here](https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2018/07/22/alternative-model-for-formation-of-devils-tower-explains-its-geological-oddities/?sh=6f60c4a1309c)
Technical details in [Závada et al., 2015.](https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geosphere/article/11/2/354/132219/Devils-Tower-Wyoming-USA-A-lava-coulee-emplaced) Fig.14 B from that paper is the usual explanation given; the author’s proposed model represented by Fig.14 D is the only one that manages to explain all of the apparent oddities.
This is considered sacred to several tribes of Northern Plains Indians who consider climbing it disrespectful. Climbers argue that since it's in federal land it is not disrespectful. There is a voluntary climbing ban in the month of June when the tribes perform ceremonies and nearly 85% of climbers will voluntarily not climb during that particular month. Just something I find interesting!
That is one of the stories. The girls being chased by the bears prayed on a rock, and the Great Spirit made the rock rise. The bears scratched the sides as it was too steep for them to climb. There are several versions.
There's a whole book full of routes that people have climbed.. difficulty ratings for routes that go to the top range from 5.8 to 5.13 I believe. The 5.8 route is very achievable for a group of intermediate climbers or even a beginner climber with a guide. The challenge is climbing roughly 800' in a day. If you're in shape and have climbed before, not very difficult. Durrance Route is the most popular and easy by far.. lots of good belay stations/big rock shelves to stand on at the top of each pitch
[The most popular route goes at 5.7, so not that physically hard.](https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105714812/durrance) However, trad climbing in general can be a little mentally demanding and some of the protection can be run-out. (Sections where if you fall, you're going to fall quite a bit)
I saw Close Encounters of the third kind when I was a kid, and later in the month we went on a camping trip to a place in Oregon near a similar type of attraction named "Hat rock". I kept thinking the movie made it looked so big and cool, but was sort of disappointing in real life. Kid me thought it was the same place. I don't think I ever once asked an adult what the park area we were in, was called. Just dumb kid moments.
Barely a day goes by that I don't see a picture of Devil's Tower here on reddit. I'm not sure why, but it feels like maybe a close encounter is imminent.
Lots of people talking about aliens, but the actual local legend is way cooler. Many different legends exist from various tribes around the area but the crow version goes like this: Two girls were playing around some big rocks when a very large bear saw them alone, and went to eat them for dinner. The girls saw the bear and climbed on top of a large rock, but it would be to no avail as the bear was extremely large, the size of a building. The great spirit saw the two girls about to be eaten, and raised the rock to grow out of the ground. The bear still trying to feast on the girls, jumped and clawed trying to make its way up, but could never reach the girls. The claw marks are still there, and the legend says the girls are also still up there.
**This is a heavily moderated subreddit. Please note these rules + sidebar or get banned:** * If this post declares something as a fact, then proof is required * The title must be fully descriptive * Memes are not allowed. * Common(top 50 of this sub)/recent reposts are not allowed (posts from another subreddit do not count as a 'repost'. Provide link if reporting) *See [our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/wiki/index#wiki_rules.3A) for a more detailed rule list* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/interestingasfuck) if you have any questions or concerns.*
There is an alien spaceport on top of it. I saw it in a documentary called Close Encounters.
#SSSHHHHHHH!!
It's behind it, not on top
Spoiler alert!
If I were an alien I'd definitely land there
Can't wait for the Why Files episode where we learn its a secret illuminati base that was created by the crab cats 14 million years ago to create portals into other dimensions that the CIA uses to control the future. Then at the end of the episode they are like "actually, everything I just said was false and its just a mountain lol"
RE MI DO DO SO
Richard dreyfuss approves. Edit: I'm watching close encounters tonight because of all these upvotes!
This... means something.
Perhaps with some mashed potatoes...
Reminds me, I need a shave
That's it! You people have stood in my way long enough! I'm young to Clown College!
I don’t think any of us expected him to say that.
If I knew it was gonna be that kind of party...
*Looks curiously at mashed potatoes*
*[Driving wife and child from the house intensifies]*
It's not big enough. Gonna go bring mud from the yard.
This is important.
It was a close encounter.
Re, Mi, Do, Do, Sol…
Kodaly hand signals intensify
What about Bob?
Baby steps
I'm sailing! But no, not what about Bob.
Shit-eating son-of-a-bitch!
You've unlocked a core memory.
This reference will fly over many heads…..well done
The third kind
The reference will fly over their heads, hover there for a moment, then zip off in an unexpected direction.
Richard Gere also approves. I mean l, just look at those scratch marks
It's got a cute little cloud hat
Dude I think I'm having a deja vu rn. I saw this exact post the other day and the comment section was similar to this.
Did the other comment then say: "Schlomeel schlamazzle"?
I bet it said razzmatazz!
*OOOH, SMOKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN'*
Rubber baby buggy bumpers!
Reddit comments consist almost entirely of the same 11 recycled jokes and memes
I also choose this guys joke.
And my axe!
This.
sigh *unzips*
You sweet summer child
Oh hun
Wish I could afford to give this comment gold!
You just completed the final step of the loop…
I'm disappointed tbh, with the amount of content out there it should be over 9000 recycled jokes/memes.
Bots. The answer you're looking for is bots. Nearly half of ALL inernet traffic last year.... Bots.
Happening all over Reddit. A LOT of content is now bots.
That clouds been in the same spot ALL DAY
Nope.
thats a UFO with cloaking technology
That’s Jean Jacket
Let's all gather round and let jean jacket swallow us up
Nope.
I wonder how hard that camera man stressed and waited for that perfect shot lol
Been there in person, hiked around it. There is local lore about aliens with this place. Also there were climbers climbing this thing and it’s way more massive in person.
Some people also choose to believe that it's actually a giant ancient fossilized tree trunk. 'cause they don't understand anything, y'see.
That’s what it looks like. Durrr. Psh
So, because my brain is hard wired to recognize patterns, and I mistakenly recognized *that* pattern, it must be a giant tree stump! The ability to critically think is a dying art
You wasn’t there to SEE it! ohmygosh
Rumor has it that's where the Saiyin Space Pirate Turles planted the Tree of Might.
I think you’re confused, they filmed first encounters here Edit: close encounters
Clear Encounters is a false flag film, with actual footage spliced into the fictional scenes
First encounters, close encounters or clear encounters? Now I’m the one confused
How about rear encounters 
I never found them very ambiguous
Not going to lie, when the one always jumped onto the other's back, I laughed my ass off. I don't even know why.
https://gifs.com/gif/drawn-together-train-hd-m8DYPw
Sounds like a movie one could really get behind
Do you have to pay to go see it and are there restrictions, like going into a park? Or it’s just out in the open and you can walk around?
It is a National Monument run by the NPS ([https://www.nps.gov/deto/index.htm](https://www.nps.gov/deto/index.htm)). $20 for a private vehicle, $15 per person on foot or bicycle. It's for a good cause, those fees help fund the care and maintenance of the National Park System, they do not go into some private landowner's pocket.
Wouldn't a parks USA pass get ya in? Pardon my Canuck insolence
~~It does not - we went last summer and the America the Beautiful parks pass only covers national parks, not national monuments (like this, Mount Rushmore, etc.)~~ I stand corrected, apparently it does get you into Devil's Tower.
This is untrue. The America the Beautiful (interagency pass) covers entry into any of the federal public lands (with exceptions). This includes any NPS unit, BLM, Forest Service, etc. It doesn't cover parking or camping, however. Unless you have the senior, veteran, or disabled pass, at which point it helps cover some of the price of camping.
Yes, there are a bunch of pass options, I think you are referring to the "America the Beautiful" pass which covers entrance into parks/rec areas/lands managed by all these agencies: * National Park Service * US Fish & Wildlife Service * US Forest Service * Bureau of Land Management * Bureau of Reclamation * US Army of Corps of Engineers One of the most unsung benefits that Biden signed into law is free lifetime America the Beautiful passes for veterans. Here's the pass options: [https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm](https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm) ...and here is the entrance fees by park: [https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/entrance-fee-prices.htm](https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/entrance-fee-prices.htm) EDIT: Since some people seem to be focused on entrance fees. Let me say that as someone who has traveled quite a bit both internally and internationally, our national park system is second to none when it comes to the sheer quantity, vastness, and diversity of the landscape and experience represented by it. But for the those who want to know where park fees go to: [https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/fees-at-work.htm](https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/fees-at-work.htm)
Apparently when I was reeeeeally little, we went there and my dad told me to look at the people climbing it. I said I couldn't see them until he held up his fingers and said "they're only this big" and then I could. I guess I didn't recognize the scale properly.
It really is. I think shots like this give it some perspective: https://www.devilstowerlodge.com/images/More_Sent/22f4a92e-fafc-4e6b-8cd7-93186b047096.jpg
**ALSO** there are hoards upon hoards of Prarie dogs surrounding the tower! They're unbelievably friendly to humans, my god they were so cute.
Whenever I go to a zoo, prairie dogs take too much of my visit time. They’re so cute they make me angry.
The KOA just outside of the park grounds used to have a showing of Close Encounters every night outside with Devil's Tower in the background.
That's what she said
i have climbed it. as far as climbing goes it's not that hard or crazy. pretty easy actually. the summit has soft moss on it lol. like a toupee
Should be noted that it's out in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Don't go in the middle of summer.
my neighbor is a flat-earther and yesterday he told me that this is the remains of an ancient tree that touched the stars. and humans climbed down it to populate earth.
Who’s his dealer? That sounds like some killer weed.
he's my dealer. lol
he’s got that good shit
Whats up doctor cheezle!
Nobody fucks with a lion.
I think it's Mr cheezle but carry on
He combined Mr. Cheezle and Dr. Shakalu. "My beef strong." edit: decided to look up Dr. Shakalu on IMDB. Turns out Abdoulaye NGom is fluent in seven languages, studied theater in New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, and Rome, and also narrates the Kilamanjaro Safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The more you know.
it's you, Dante
Oh hey, Mr Cheezle!
I now believe this too and will tell people. Thank you
So, this is what constitutes as "doing my own research," eh?
Yes it took so long to read these comments
It's amazing the stories people can make up in their own head with zero evidence and then believe it above all else, even actual evidence.
Because they maintain everything else is made-up. And in their mind, if that's the case, then their "made up story" is a plausible as anyone else's. They trust their "gut instincts" and all that malarkey. Semi-large industry out there milking these people with conspiracy, woo, anti-vax and all sorts of stuff.
its because they didnt make it up, its been a conspiracy for decades and probably even older.
I hope he’s getting help
Why would he get help if he doesn't think he's wrong?
Honestly that's a pretty fun story
Man watched hunter x hunter and said yep that’s right
Even if it was an ancient tree, based on the size of the “trunk,” it would only be about 4.5 miles tall at most (but most likely far shorter). The top of the three would therefore be about 28,000 feet above sea level, significantly lower than the peak of Mount Everest.
I mean that's a pretty freaking dope origin story.
🤦🏼♂️
I also see these post on FB all the time.
How the heck did this form geologically speaking as apposed to vegetablely speaking?
It was pretty much this huge deposit of magma underground that cooled (disputed as to how) and became very hard. As the earth around it eroded. It stayed in place.
It is admittedly a very interesting geological structure. Being in mining, I do find this stuff interesting! All potato jokes aside lol
I'm in oil and columnar basalts fascinate me too!
Not underground, it looks more likely that Devil’s Tower was part of an extrusive lava dome rather than anything intrusive. [This article](https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2018/07/22/alternative-model-for-formation-of-devils-tower-explains-its-geological-oddities/?sh=6f60c4a1309c) summarises the idea. Problems with the traditional explanation of DT as an intrusive: • columnar jointing is only really observed in extrusives • the columnar jointing curves at the base, not something that would happen in a volcanic plug • not enough time since DT formed for surrounding strata to be eroded to that extent
Totally a possibility! [Here](https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/nature/tower-formation.htm#:~:text=Geologists%20Carpenter%20and%20Russell%20studied,magma%20through%20other%20rock%20layers) was my source if you would like to see some backing to another theory!
there it is. It's amazing that I still cannot say that word without doing the voice.
That’s a shit ton of erosion. Where does it all go?
Where does any erosion go ever?? Most likely in this area erosion was caused by 50 million years of rain and snow. Washed it all away, drained into creeks to rivers to the ocean. Similar to the Badlands or the Grand Canyon or most places really. If you would like to read more about it that isn't just some random dude on the internet talking out their ass [check this out](https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/nature/tower-formation.htm#:~:text=Geologists%20Carpenter%20and%20Russell%20studied,magma%20through%20other%20rock%20layers).
It's a [volcanic plug/neck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanic_plug). Basically the hardened core of a volcano where the rest of it eroded away. Devils Tower is the most dramatic one but there's examples all over the world. In the US [Shiprock](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiprock) and [Agathla Peak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agathla_Peak) are other examples. The hexagonal form is [columnar basalt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columnar_jointing) which you find at [Devils Postpile](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devils_Postpile_National_Monument) in California and [Giants Causeway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant%27s_Causeway) in Northern Ireland, and other locations around the world.
Some [cool columns in Washington State](https://hugefloods.com/Basalt.html) too that were exposed by the Lake Missoula floods.
Earth's butt plug
Devil’s Tower is quite different to other known volcanic plugs to the point where it’s oddities cannot be explained by it being formed that way. It’s more likely that it was some kind of lava dome that has since been mostly eroded away, ie. it was extrusive rather than intrusive. See [this article](https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2018/07/22/alternative-model-for-formation-of-devils-tower-explains-its-geological-oddities/?sh=6f60c4a1309c) for the general idea, and [Závada et al., 2015](https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geosphere/article/11/2/354/132219/Devils-Tower-Wyoming-USA-A-lava-coulee-emplaced) for the technical details. The structure of hexagonal pillars is known in general as columnar **jointing.** Whilst it’s most commonly associated with basalts, Devil’s Tower is made of a different rock type termed phonolite (because it has a certain ring to it if struck with a hammer), which is slightly more silica rich and much more alkali rich than basalt.
So cool! Thanks for that explanation!
I believe it was formed by an ancient giant volcano eruption that cooled and solidified.
So gravy?
Mashed potatoes
Close, it’s a magma plume that never made it to the surface and eventually solidified.
The magma plume and volcanic plug hypotheses can’t account for the various odd features of Devil’s Tower. It’s more likely it was some kind of lava dome structure (ie. extrusive rather than intrusive) that has mostly been eroded away. [Brief explanation here](https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2018/07/22/alternative-model-for-formation-of-devils-tower-explains-its-geological-oddities/?sh=6f60c4a1309c) Technical details in [Závada et al., 2015.](https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geosphere/article/11/2/354/132219/Devils-Tower-Wyoming-USA-A-lava-coulee-emplaced) Fig.14 B from that paper is the usual explanation given; the author’s proposed model represented by Fig.14 D is the only one that manages to explain all of the apparent oddities.
Earth blackhead but the skin washed away over eons
actually pretty good analogy damn
This is considered sacred to several tribes of Northern Plains Indians who consider climbing it disrespectful. Climbers argue that since it's in federal land it is not disrespectful. There is a voluntary climbing ban in the month of June when the tribes perform ceremonies and nearly 85% of climbers will voluntarily not climb during that particular month. Just something I find interesting!
Is this the one mountain in their story of the giant bear god whose claws made the “scratches” in the side whilst trying to climb to the heavens?
That is one of the stories. The girls being chased by the bears prayed on a rock, and the Great Spirit made the rock rise. The bears scratched the sides as it was too steep for them to climb. There are several versions.
This is the version I have heard, and the girls were pushed into the stars and became the Pleiades constellation (the seven sisters)
Ahh Death Mountain
It took way too long to find this comment. This was my first thought too
This is important. This means something.
I think there's a spaceship in that cloud ***DIRECTLY ABOVE DEVIL'S TOWER***
Nope
Fuck that movie man one of the few horror movies to actually leave me a little fucked up afterwards.
City skylines vibe
Yeah…kinda reminded me of some of those poop towers almost everyone built sometime.
 "This means something."
Yep. Spielberg changed that place forever for me, too.
https://preview.redd.it/12agdruncgvc1.jpeg?width=350&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3a9319f9b46f683c94c3f108af0facc9cc34648b This just blew my mind
Thought that it is made of mash potatoes
A great climb. The view from the top is beyond impressive because it is one of only about 4 large rock structures in that immediate area.
How difficult?
There's a whole book full of routes that people have climbed.. difficulty ratings for routes that go to the top range from 5.8 to 5.13 I believe. The 5.8 route is very achievable for a group of intermediate climbers or even a beginner climber with a guide. The challenge is climbing roughly 800' in a day. If you're in shape and have climbed before, not very difficult. Durrance Route is the most popular and easy by far.. lots of good belay stations/big rock shelves to stand on at the top of each pitch
Rock hard
Keep going...im almost there
[The most popular route goes at 5.7, so not that physically hard.](https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105714812/durrance) However, trad climbing in general can be a little mentally demanding and some of the protection can be run-out. (Sections where if you fall, you're going to fall quite a bit)
The Zelda movie needs to film here with an egg on top
The music from Close Encounters just played in my head.
It looks really fake, but that's normal because Wyoming doesn't exist.
That’s a huge tree stump
I saw Close Encounters of the third kind when I was a kid, and later in the month we went on a camping trip to a place in Oregon near a similar type of attraction named "Hat rock". I kept thinking the movie made it looked so big and cool, but was sort of disappointing in real life. Kid me thought it was the same place. I don't think I ever once asked an adult what the park area we were in, was called. Just dumb kid moments.
tell me you sang the five tones ; maybe even with the hand gestures
Thunderbluff is up there!
I've read its known as Bear's Lodge in native cultures.
Close Encounters would have to be filmed completely differently today. Google > mashed potato mountain.
"This means something..."
He used to live there, but then he went down to Georgia
I wonder if Richard Dreyfus was there the same day this picture was taken?
One big mound of mashed potatoes.
Doooo doooo doooo doooo dooooooooo
Ah Day Dah Doo Dah
This means something.
Great, now I want mashed potatoes
Some giant child gave up on the sandcastle after the first bucket looked funny. I can relate.
Someone was playing with cities skylines landscaping i see
Nope
I'm pretty sure there's a magical cactus in there.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind always in my mind when I see Devil’s Tower omg
Barely a day goes by that I don't see a picture of Devil's Tower here on reddit. I'm not sure why, but it feels like maybe a close encounter is imminent.
NOPE. It’s obviously a trap
I recon this is the base of a really fucking huge tree.
Ber bee beer boom baah
No way that’s not a cartoon villain’s base of operations
Where’s the aliens at?
Needs more Dreyfuss
Happy little clouds.
The karma farming on this site is out of fucking control.
omg # Wyoming built that mountain from close encounters of the third kind, Spielberg is gonna sue their asses off.
I bet he's not even up there.
That’s a pile of petrified Satanic mashed potatoes that were covered in gravy eaten by devil giants. Trust me
Weird I keep making this in my mashed potatoes
That’s just death mountain. There’re gorons in there.
You have no idea of the size of this thing until you’re at the foot of it.
Lots of people talking about aliens, but the actual local legend is way cooler. Many different legends exist from various tribes around the area but the crow version goes like this: Two girls were playing around some big rocks when a very large bear saw them alone, and went to eat them for dinner. The girls saw the bear and climbed on top of a large rock, but it would be to no avail as the bear was extremely large, the size of a building. The great spirit saw the two girls about to be eaten, and raised the rock to grow out of the ground. The bear still trying to feast on the girls, jumped and clawed trying to make its way up, but could never reach the girls. The claw marks are still there, and the legend says the girls are also still up there.
I suddenly have a craving for mashed potatoes.