Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [426]
As you proceed north along the ridge, you'll pass Custer's Lookout, the spot from which the general first viewed the American Indian village. This was the spot at which Custer sent for reinforcements, though he continued marching north.
Capt. Thomas Weir led his troops to Weir Point in hopes of assisting Custer, but was immediately discovered by the American Indian warriors and forced to retreat to the spot held by Reno.
The Medicine Trail Ford, on the ridge, overlooks a spot well below the bluffs in the Medicine Trail Coulee on the Little Bighorn River, where hundreds of warriors who had been sent from the Reno battle pushed across the river in pursuit of Custer and his army.
Farther north, the Cheyenne warrior Lame White Man led an attack up Calhoun Ridge against a company of the 7th Cavalry that had charged downhill into the coulee. When the opponents' resistance overwhelmed the army, troops retreated back up the hill, where they were killed.
As you proceed to the north, you will find detailed descriptions of the events that occurred on the northernmost edges of the ridge, as well as white markers that indicate the places where army troops fell in battle. The bodies of Custer, his brothers Tom and Boston, and nephew Autie Reed all were found on Custer Hill.
American Indian casualties during the rout are estimated at 60 to 100 warriors. Following the battle, which some say began early in the morning and ended within 2 hours, the American Indians broke camp in haste and scattered to the north and south. Within a few short years they were all confined to reservations.
The survivors of the Reno-Benteen armies buried the bodies of Custer and his slain army where they fell. In 1881, the graves that could be located were opened, and the bones reinterred at the base of a memorial shaft found overlooking the battlefield. Custer's remains were eventually reburied at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
There are three walking trails within the monument for visitors wishing to explore the battle in greater depth.
The adjacent National Cemetery, established in 1879, incorporates a self-guided tour to the graves of some of the more significant figures buried there.
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YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
by Don & Barbara Laine and Eric Peterson
YOSEMITE'S SKY-SCRAPING GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS, LUSH MEADOWS, swollen rivers, and spectacular waterfalls make it a destination for travelers from around the world. It's home to three of the world's 10 highest waterfalls and the largest single piece of exposed granite anywhere, not to mention one of the world's largest trees and the most recognized rock formation.
The greatest thing about all this is that you don't have to be a mountaineer to enjoy the beauty. Yosemite's most popular attractions are accessible to everyone. No matter where you go, you'll see a view worth remembering. In the span of a mile, you can behold the quiet beauty of a forest, walk through a pristine meadow, observe a sunset from a towering granite cliff, hike to a half-mile-high waterfall, enjoy a moonlit night as bright as day, climb a rock, and eat a gourmet meal before falling asleep, be it under the stars or in a luxurious hotel.
Yosemite Valley, the destination of 95% of park visitors (more than three million people a year), is just a small sliver of the park, but it holds the bulk of the region's jaw-dropping features. This is the place of record-setting statistics: the highest waterfall in North America and three of the tallest in the world (Upper Yosemite, Sentinel, and Ribbon falls), the biggest and tallest piece of exposed granite (El Capitan), and stands of giant sequoia.
In spite of its beauty, this wilderness haven has experienced a disquieting sense of foreboding in recent years, with increasing traffic, litter,