Modern Vespa

Took a little drive over to Devil's Tower a few days ago.

The Prairie Dogs were very welcoming and there were relatively few tourists there, 'the season' being over and all that.

While poking around the rock field at the base of the tower, we noticed some climbers slowly descending the west side columns.

For someone who experiences vertigo by the third rung of a step ladder, just the thought of climbing something like Devil's Tower, or just about anything taller than it is wide, is a terrifying proposition.

Possibly this fall yet, or in the spring if winter decides to show up before I can get up there again this year, I'll have to schedule a day trip to
the tower on the GTS and get some great photos.

All I can think about is mash potatoes.

JBlack,

I am with you all the way. No climbing for this old geezer. I even had Leaf/Filter installed on my rain gutters so I do not have to ladder up and clean them.

Nice photos.

BC in MN

But the climbers always seem to win America Ninja Warrior.

...they might feel the same about taking a scooter on the freeway.

Heights only bother me in certain situations, ladders being one, anything with a shear precipice another, tall buildings, cliffs, etc

Being in aircraft, on the other hand, doesn't bother me at all, regardless of the altitude...or the aircraft.

I've taken rides in ultralight aircraft, a Quicksilver S2 (although being two-place, it wasn't technically an 'ultralight'), where you're sitting on what seems like a lawn chair attached to a cage of aluminum tubing, and you can look between you legs at the ground 1500 feet below you, and enjoyed it immensely....but put me at the top of the Seattle Space Needle and I can barely manage to look out the windows.

Quicksilver S2...

Not a problem if you get rid of those pesky trees, Bob.

Heights didn't bother me, until I rode 2 different medevac hueys to the ground. Both times the A/C used autorotation. Bent the skids and tumbled us out the doors. Scuffed up but alive!
So much for flying at an altitude "above small arms range"!
For several seconds you are in a total free fall....before he pulls pitch just before hitting. Exciting.
O.S.

Jblack,

I always wanted to get into flying Ultralights. There seems to be something in common with sailing, motorcycling and ultralights. I did the first two extensively, but missed going up in the air. Remember the old expression, "there are only two things that fall out of the air, bird shit and idiots".

Bob in Minnesota - best to you JBlack - love your posts.

A fall from hight will never kill you, it's the sudden stop at the bottom that does it!

To make that relevant to western South Dakota, we need to add 'hail' to that old expression.

"There are only three things that fall out of the air, HAIL, bird shit, and idiots"...in that order.

Our house has very recently been re-sided for the third time, the roof reshingled the same, and our Ford F-150 is going into the body shop for the second time in three years.

Bird shit and idiots I can tolerate, but the hail is testing our patience.

"Do you know what you are, Jerry?... you're an ANTI-HAIL-ITE, that's what you are....."