As I said in a real-time Tweet, When I arrived at the grave, I jumped over Evel Knievel. I also admitted it was childish but I felt childishness in a person my age was OK. Despite it being childish, I figured it was fairly common. After all the stuff he jumped over, jumping over him seemed like something people would naturally do. However, a far from exhaustive internet search turned up nothing so maybe not. Hope I didn't start something. Or maybe I hope I did.

I didn't spend a lot of time passing through the visitor center but neither did I rush. I walked to the base of the pillar and took a couple of pictures before I started up the stairs. As I paused on a lower landing to take another picture, a lady several steps above me urged me on. Lightning had been sighted and the pillar was being closed. Rangers were directing people down the steps behind her. I only had to reach the next level to see the signature, she told me. I could make it if I hurried. I obviously made it and I actually had plenty of time to photograph it before the last ranger on the pillar very politely took me in tow. We walked down the steps together and he locked the chain at the bottom behind us.

Getting to within yards of Clark's signature and not seeing it would have been the biggest silly of all. I found the lady who had warned me as I again passed through the visitor center and I thanked her profusely. The storm was rapidly closing in on the pillar and rain was falling before I reached my car.