Ever since I saw CE3K in the late 70s as a kid I was mesmerized by everything regarding this truly magical masterpiece o
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gp12345us — 9 years ago(June 07, 2016 03:38 PM)
Awesome! I've been to Devil's Tower three times so far, and the last time I went I also had the "Close Encounters" soundtrack playing in the car as I got into the area of the tower. I've also camped there, and years ago one of the local campgrounds projected the movie on the side of one of the buildings at night, so you could actually watch "Close Encounters" and then look up to see the real Devil's Tower while watching the movie. Truly magical!
My Top 5 Movies: "Dazed & Confused", "Close Encounters", "Vertigo", "Melancholia", "Rushmore" -
afn — 9 years ago(June 08, 2016 08:27 AM)
Wow! I had an equal experience when one time we stayed at this hotel in the middle of Monument Valley, with all the famous rock landmarks, the mesas, truly right in front of it. The one night when we stayed there they projected THE SEARCHERS right onto one of the hotel's walls I stood there in that warm evening, not really watching the movie but looking out into the Valley, with Max Steiner's soundtrack, the dialogue and everything and it was just - magical. You really can't describe it.
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gp12345us — 9 years ago(June 15, 2016 11:01 AM)
Nope, no valley on the back side of the tower. That is where the visitor center is located, where you can park and start the trail that goes all the way around the tower. The back side of the tower also has a much larger rock pile at the base than the front side.
My Top 5 Movies: "Dazed & Confused", "Close Encounters", "Vertigo", "Melancholia", "Rushmore" -
gp12345us — 9 years ago(June 16, 2016 12:35 PM)
Ok, I'll lay this out for you, just in case you want an honest answer and are not trolling like your name suggests. Devil's Tower is a national monument, there is an entry station on the east side of the tower that you approach from the main highway, that is commonly referred to as the "front". You then drive around the tower to the west side where the visitor's center and trail head are located, that is commonly referred to as the "back".
In the movie they are safe when they get to the base center side of the tower, because the helicopters have to stop gassing or they would knock out the entire base station crew. In a news report earlier in the movie, it is stated that the national park has been closed for three weeks for renovations. We are to assume that the base was built in this time, so the public were not there to see it.
Does that answer everything?
My Top 5 Movies: "Dazed & Confused", "Close Encounters", "Vertigo", "Melancholia", "Rushmore" -
afn — 9 years ago(June 24, 2016 03:32 AM)
You know, what really amazed me (and still does) was that DT is open for climbing to the top! You have to be a certified rock climber but then you can make the vertical ascent up those long, hexagonal-shaped formations (many of which have broken away over the millennia and give you a sense of scale when you walk up to or past them along the walking trail of how massive this baby really is).
There are of course some photos of the top surface: some grass and other small plants and weeds, pretty level from what I remember. Fascinating, indeed.
I always thought DT was something like Ayer's Rock in Australia, you know, sacred to the Native Americans and stuff, but apparently they have no problem with it. (Don't really know if it's situated in Native Americans territory). -
Zach126 — 9 years ago(July 28, 2016 05:50 AM)
It was indeed sacred to the Native Americans and still is to this day. There's even a sign at the park asking visitors to stay on the trails and be respectful of the park becuz of the high regard that the Indians have for it. A lil bit of history about the name:
{The name Devil's Tower originated in 1875 during an expedition led by Col. Richard Irving Dodge when his interpreter misinterpreted the name to mean Bad God's Tower, which then became Devil's Tower. All information signs in that area use the name "Devils Tower", following a geographic naming standard whereby the apostrophe is eliminated.
In 2005, a proposal to recognize several American Indian ties through the additional designation of the monolith as Bear Lodge National Historic Landmark met with opposition from United States Representative Barbara Cubin, arguing that a "name change will harm the tourist trade and bring economic hardship to area communities".
In November 2014, Arvol Looking Horse, an American Indian spiritual leader, again proposed renaming the geographical feature "Bear Lodge", and submitted the request to the Board of Geographic Names. If the name were to change, it would only apply to the geographic rock and the nearby hamlet, both called Devils Tower.
The name of the Devils Tower National Monument could only be changed by Congress or a presidential executive order, said Tim Reid, superintendent of the monument.
The National Park Service doesn't have a position on the name, Reid told the Casper Star-Tribune.
Devils Tower became the country's first national monument when it was created in 1906.
In his request to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, Looking Horse said the name "Devils Tower" is a white man's mistranslation of the words "Bad God's Tower."
It is offensive "because it equates cultural and faith traditions practiced at this site to 'devil worship,' in essence equating indigenous people to 'devils,'" the name change proposal states.
The proposal has drawn opposition from people at the state and local levels.
"The general consensus amongst the local citizens so far has been in opposition to the name change mostly due to economic factors," said Devin Traff, executive director of the Wyoming Board of Geographic Names. "There has been some support for the name change. Most of that have come from individuals who have written in to me."
Sen. Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, has a family ranch at the base of the tower and opposes the change.
Driskill said the name Devils Tower was never meant to be offensive.
Driskill and Crook County Commission Chairman Kelly Dennis said Bear Lodge is a name used for other geographic features in northeastern Wyoming. Renaming Devils Tower would cause confusion.
A local mountain range is called Bear Lodge, as is the area's ranger district for the Black Hills National Forest. There is a ranch called Bear Lodge as well as a resort in the Big Horn Mountains.
There has also been concern about the cost of changing the tourism pamphlets and brochures that promote the site.} -
Zach126 — 9 years ago(July 28, 2016 06:05 AM)
And to the OP, Congrats on finally making it to Devils Tower. I took a long road trip, from Michigan, back when I was 20 yrs old, and made it a point to stop at many national parks along the way. DT was always high on my list of must see spots though. Especially after seeing this iconic film. There were obviously no flying saucers or aliens when I got there but man o' man, what a beautiful spot. I'd luv to get back out there again someday and bring my good camera. And like you, i'm bringing my John Williams G/H album along (something i didn't have back in 1991) and cranking up the CE3K theme just as I arrive for the full effect.
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taraforweb — 9 years ago(August 20, 2016 08:08 PM)
I went there once and found a "passport stamp" in the visitors center. Not knowing there was a national park 'passport' type book, I got all happy and stamped my actual passport with it. blush
It IS quite fun to have in there! -
degrimstead-1 — 9 years ago(November 23, 2016 05:43 AM)
Ha ha, this is really cool. Good for you! I actually had kind of a thrill just "visiting" it via Google Earth. Hard to believe it's a real place, right? Hard to believe it's not man-made.
I'd be scared to look at it at night.