Anyone looking toward Devils Tower after sunset on the Fourth of July might have noticed balls of light slowly ascending its sheer sides.
It wasn’t a beacon to the cosmos to entice another close encounter with extraterrestrial life at the nation’s first National Monument. It was a group of night climbers scaling the tower.
Wearing lights while they ascended made them appear as tiny white dots on the side of the peak.
Many aspire to climb Devils Tower, but doing it at night is an otherworldly experience. Even experienced climbers who've summited Devils Tower before say it feels like an entirely different summit at night.
"I've climbed the tower many, many, many times," said Leigh Lassle, the Gillette man who's climbed Devils Tower more than anyone else. "When I climb at night, I climb it differently. Everything changes."
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