Climbing Devil's Tower via El Matador 5.10d

On a Memorial Day smash and grab, the four of us hauled it up to 15 hours through Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota to the famed Devils Tower. 1,000 miles, the midwesterners way. Our first look at the tower was well after dark but its silhouette still rose dauntingly in the starlight. A headlamp was flickering about 100’ from the summit. Thirty minutes go by and it hasn’t moved. “That’ll be us tomorrow.” John says as we set our sleeping bags out of some crash pads. I second guess leaving my headlamp in the car as I drift off to sleep.

Freaking Lane wakes us up donut shop early for some invalid reason. But we got to see first light on the top portion of the tower which was outstandingly orange. I slam some leftover pizza as we check the weather. Rain tomorrow, everywhere. So we commit to doing double today, El Matador and something you might be seeing soon..