Devils Tower

Devils Tower
Devils Tower is a natural stone formation that rises 1267 feet in the Black Hills of
northeastern Wyoming. President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Devils Tower the first
US National Monument in 1906.
Nobody knows how this unusual rock was formed, but geologists have put forth several
theories. They agree that Devils Tower is an “igneous intrusion”, which is magma that
hardened while still underground. This may have happened 60 million years ago, which
is when the Rocky Mountains were forming too. Scientists disagree about how this
magma eventually came to tower so high above its surroundings. A popular theory sets
Devils Tower as the neck of an old volcano. In this theory, the rest of the mountain
eroded away.
Weather continues to erode the tower. Cracks fill with ice and expand, and rocks then fall
to the ground. Piles of broken lava columns at the base of the tower indicate that it used
to be larger.
Native Americans also have stories to explain Devils Towers. In their stories, the tower is
called Mateo Tepee, meaning Grizzly Bear Lodge. The rock’s long vertical cracks
reminded people of scratches that a bear might make. In a Kiowa story, for example,
seven little girls were playing far from their village when bears started to chase them. The
girls ran to a small rock and prayed for it to save them. The rock started to push upwards,
higher and higher until the girls were out of the bears’ reach. The bears scratched at the
rock and broke their claws. The Kiowa say that these little girls were pushed upward to
the sky; they now form a seven-star constellation. Another version of the story has little
boys chased by bears, and an eagle carries them home from the tall rock.
Devils Tower appears insurmountable to many. Henry Newt, who was part of area’s first
geological survey, wrote in 1875: “Its summit is so entirely inaccessible that the energetic
explorer… standing at its base could only look upward in despair of ever planting his feet
on the top.” Nonetheless, a Wyoming rancher named William Rogers ascended the tower
in 1893; he climbed up with the aid of wooden pegs that he’d drive into cracks. A more
professional ascent was made in 1937 by a small party representing the American Alpine
Club. The climb can be made relatively easy or extremely challenging according to the
path someone chooses.
The tower is still sacred to several Native American Plains tribes, including the Lakota
Sioux, Cheyenne, and Kiowa. There have been conflicts between tourists who want to
climb the tower and indigenous people who hold ceremonies around the monument.
There is now a compromise that involves a voluntary climbing ban in June, which is
when the tribes traditionally use the tower most. This compromise has not satisfied
everyone, since climbers see the rock as federal land and Native Americans see ascension
of the monument as desecration. About 4,000 people climb Devils Tower every year.
According to a PBS documentary called In Light of Reverence, most agree not to climb
during the month of ceremonies.

The region is also known for its colorful rock layers. The oldest visible rocks have been
dated to the Triassic period, or about 200 million years ago. These are dark red sandstone
and siltstone, colored by oxidized iron. A thin white band of Jurassic-era gypsum follows.
People can also spot gray-green shale, red mudstone, and yellow sandstone.

The United States was probably first aware of Devils Tower after an 1859 Yellowstone
expedition led by Captain W. F. Reynolds. In 1875 Colonel Richard Dodge led a
geological survey to the rock. It was Dodge who named Devils Tower; he thought that
natives called it “Bad God’s Tower”. Congress designated the area a US forest reserve in
1892, and by 1906 it was the country’s first national monument. In addition to the tower,
the park includes the Belle Fourche River and 1347 acres of pine forests and grasslands,
home to deer, prairie dogs, and other animals.
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Geilo in Norway

Geilo in Norway stands 800 metres high, and has one of the highest ski lifts in the world, stretching 3,887 feet. Geilo is positioned three and a half hours from the capital city, whilst having good road and rail links to the village. Set amidst amazing scenery just off the banks of Fjord, Geilo is at the heart of Norways Winter Wonderland. Maintaining its reputation as an excellent family resort, Geilo has seen visitors from Europe and beyond since early 1900s. Geilo remains unspoilt, with true Norwegian character firmly intact.

With more than just skiing facilities Geilo is home to the 4 star Highland Hotel, as well as numerous lodging houses, and the famous Holms Ski Bar. Although primarily a ski resort Geilo also offers sleigh rides, wildlife adventure tours, ski orienteering, tobogganing, snow shoe walking, dog-sledging, kite-skiing, night-skiing, snowboarding, freestyle snowboarding and much more.

Geilos reputation as one the worlds top skiing resorts lies mainly in its ability to cater for family vacations. With over 10,000 families visiting the slopes each year, Geilo also offers excellent tuition in packages it refers to as the Family Starter Pack. This involves tuition for your entire family for the equivalent of $200 a day. This means, that not only can your whole family learn together, but is also means that families with no skiing experience, can go along and after the first day, they will be able to ski on their own.

Geilo has also increased its reputation amongst Snowboarders in recent years beating off Lillehammer, Voss and Hemsedal in its bid to host the Norwegian Snowboarding Championship. With four sides of mountain each dedicated to snowboarding and skiing, Geilo is now able to call itself Norways first skiing location to offer 5 runs dedicated to snowboarding. With 110 runs in total, Geilo has 14% expert allowing experienced skiers to enjoy themselves on the slopes, whilst maintaining the rest of its facilities for intermediates and beginners that account for a larger number of their yearly visitors.

Geilo also offers exceptional value for money with weekly family packages starting from $1000 including accommodation, bed and breakfast. The element that stands out the most about Geilo is the way it caters for families, with crches, family diners, and especially their Christmas bonanza which includes Santa visiting the slopes with his reindeer on Christmas day, and the time leading up to christmas. Geilo never fails to be fully booked for Christmas, with so many families choosing to bring their children along to experience Christmas within this winter wonderland.

Although Geilo offers amazing family packages, it would be unfair to say that Geilo is limited to family vacations. Geilo has hosted very serious world sporting events, as well as being the training ground of the national snowboarding and skiing teams. Geilo is available from August/September all the way through to late March and is also considering investing in Avalanche Technology which generates snow from water to provide 24/365 skiing. If you have never been to Geilo then I would recommend that you give it a go, although the family image may put certain people off visiting the slope I would suggest that checking it out is the best thing to do. From their website it is clear to see that consistent snowfall, and a good variation in the difficulty of runs, Geilo is a facility that can genuinely cater for everyone; from beginner to professional.

It has many great options for accommodation, and with good travel links as well their really is no excuse for not hoping on a plane and going to Geilo today. With thousands of people on the slopes, from different countries and different backgrounds Geilo is suitable for families and teenagers alike. With individual price plans starting from $350 a week, and well-known DJs playing at local club venues Geilo is also becoming very popular amongst those teenagers who would have previously seen Ibiza as the only place to be seen on holiday.

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Preparing for Your International Flight

Each year, millions of Americans make the decision to travel out of the country. Many individuals travel for personal reasons, while other travel for business reasons. Whatever your reasons for flying, you will find that international flights are not like most domestic flights. For that reason, you will often find that you need to prepare for an international flight differently.

The first step in preparing for your next international flight is to make sure that you have all of your travel arrangements in order. You should do this in advance, just in a case any problems arise or you find that any mistake were made. Your travel plans should not only include your airline reservations, but your hotel accommodations and any other travel arrangements. Once have made certain that all of your plans are in order, you can begin to start preparing for the rest of your trip.

One of the first things that you will want to do is make sure that you have all of the documents needed to take an international flight. Depending on where to are traveling to, which airline you are flying on, and which international airport you are flying in and out of, you may need to have different proofs of identification. These proofs of identification may include, but should not be limited to, a drivers license, a government issued identification card, a certificate of citizenship, a passport, or a visa. To determine which items are required and which are optional, you are urged to contact the international airport that you will be flying out of, for further information.

Once you have gathered all of the necessary documents, you will need to start packing for your trip. When packing your bags, it is important that you know which items are prohibited aboard an airplane, either altogether or in your carryon luggage. In the United States, as well as a number of other foreign airports, you will find that liquids and sharp objects are restricted only to checked baggage. It is also important to note that all explosive and flammable objects are completely banned from airplanes, including your checked baggage.

While it is important to familiarize yourself with the items that are banned aboard an airplane in the United States, it is also advised that you familiarize yourself with the bans enforced in the country that you will be flying to. This is extremely important because not all areas of the world are the same. Essentially, this may mean that although a certain item may be allowed in your carryon luggage in the Untied States, it may not be in another country. To prevent a problem from arising, namely with airport security, you are advised to examine the most commonly banned items, throughout the entire world.

In addition to packing your bags and making sure all of your travel plans are in order, you may want to take the time to famialrize yourself with the international airports in which you will be flying in and out of. You may want to print off or request a map of each airport, as well as familiarize yourself with all airport screening procedures. Although airport security is heightened all across the country, even in domestic airports, you will find that the security at international airport is more intense.
The security measure taken at each airport will vary depending on the preference of the airport in question. Despite the fact that specific airports can add in their own precautionary measures, there are some rules that be must followed. These rules often involve the proper screening of all passengers and bags. Since this screening may take some time, you are advised to arrive at the airport as early as you possibly can. For international flights, it is advised that you arrive no latter than two hours before your flight is set to take off. In the event that a problem should arise, two hours should give you enough time to, hopefully, get the problem straightened out.

By keeping the above mentioned points in mind, you should successfully be able to prepare for your next international vacation or business trip. When it comes to international travel, nothing is more important than the proper planning.

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