Denver & Great Plains

One of the climbers (see larger picture), in the jumble of columns at the base of the tower.

Rural northeast Wyoming, near the Montana/South Dakota borders.

Adit (entrance) to the historic coal mine at Aladdin, Wy.

Plaque describing the historic coal mine at Aladdin, Wy. The mine began operation in 1898. Per the website linked below, the mine initially supplied coal for gold smelting operations nearby in South Dakota. www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=34833

The hoist house at the Aladdin, WY coal mine. Originally coal was brought out by mule-drawn, but a later addition used a truck motor and chain operation to bring the cars out. The truck chassis is visible in the shed.

Plaque describing the hoist operation at the historic coal mine at Aladdin, Wy.

Tipple for moving coal from the mine to coal hauling wagons below. At the historic coal mine in Aladdin, WY.

Tipple for moving coal from the mine to coal hauling wagons below. At the historic coal mine in Aladdin, WY.

Plaque describing later year operations at the Aladdin, WY coal mine. In the early years the mine provided coal for industry, but the supply dwindled and the mine then provided coal for domestic heating and cooking. The mine stopped operating in the early 1940's.

Plaque describing ongoing bioremediation at the historic coal mine in Aladdin, WY.

Seemingly radiance from the heavens.... dramatic sky on a September morning on the eastern Montana Plains. MT-59, southeast of Miles City.

Seemingly radiance from the heavens.... dramatic sky on a September morning on the eastern Montana Plains. MT-59, southeast of Miles City.

Mixed messages... "Adam & Eve" AND, baby doll bondage (see next photo). The play is put on by Montana Rep in in various rural cities (here in Broadus, MT)

More baby-doll bondage... there was a sign explaining that the baby-dolls were used to discourage people from bumping into the posts.

Announcement of Montana Rep's outreach to small towns of live theater, here presenting Mark Twain's "Diaries of Adam and Eve". I'd never heard of the play but, per various websites, it sounds like a humorous interpretation of the Garden of Eden story.

Heading west from the major oil development in North Dakota, an historic railroad bridge over the Yellowstone River. The bridge is no longer in use by railroads, but there is a bike path across it and into a nearby tunnel. Per the link below, the bridge has a fairly unique history. Construction of it started in 1912 at a time when the Yellowstone river was navigable and thus the bridge had to have a lift section to accommodate river traffic, but river traffic ceased in the next year and thus the lift section has only been raised once. To make matters worse, the rail line was built for an expected increase in rail traffic that never occurred, thus for most of its life as a railroad bridge, it saw only two trains a day. On top of that, it was built so that planks could be laid on it and it could be used as a bridge for automobiles. Luckily it is preserved as a bike path. I had hoped to be able to walk it, but it was getting too late and I had a fair distance to go before I could find a reasonably priced motel room. www.midrivers.com/~fairview/bridges.html

Eastern Montana State Veterans Cemetery, Miles City, ND.

Two WW II vets, both lived into their 90's, one having received a Purple Heart. Eastern Montana State Veterans Cemetery, Miles City, ND.