Beartooth Pass, Montana*

The Road To Beartooth Pass, Montana

Some years ago, the Official Family decided to do two weeks in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. To get there, we drove up through Nebraska and South Dakota, stopping in the Badlands, Black Hills and Little Bighorn National Battlefield, before heading toward the northeast entrance to Yellowstone. To get there from the direction we were headed (Billings, Montana), one has to cross Beartooth Pass in the Rockies. It's hard to imagine a more scenic drive for mountain lovers. Certainly, acrophopes need not apply.

Alas, I Forgot My Parasail

After an overnight in Billings, Montana, followed by breaking fast at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant upon the demand of the Official Elder Son and epicure of these pages, we headed west on I-90 to its junction with U.S. Highway 212 which travels southwest through Beartooth Pass to Yellowstone. I have been to Yellowstone three times and have managed to enter or exit the park at all of its various access points. By far and away, the northeast entrance via Beartooth Pass is the most scenic.

Looking Back Toward The Flatlands

U.S. Highway 212 winds its way through a valley to Red Lodge, Montana, a winter sports Mecca and home to Red Lodge Mountain Ski Area. From there, the road begins climbing the pass through the Gallatin, Custer and Shoshone National Forests and Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness area. The views are stunning. The recreational opportunities are endless.

A Mountain Lake Just Below The Pass;
It Really Is That Color

The pass tops out at a little over 10,000 feet near the Montana – Wyoming Border. From there the road heads generally west, crossing the border occasionally, to Yellowstone. One has views of the “Beartooth” mountain as well as Granite Peak, the highest in Montana. There are numerous pull-outs to afford scenery gawking opportunities. Further, the day-hiking possibilities are legion as the entire area is public land.

A Marmot, A Typical Mountain Critter

A few caveats: At altitude, the sun is stronger than you think. Wear a hat and sunscreen. Second, even if you’re in relatively good shape, a long hike at 9 plus thousand feet can wear you out. Take it slow and easy. Finally, there are snow fields at this elevation even into July. In the summer months, the snow melts during the day but refreezes at night. When it does so, it forms little balls of ice on the crust. If one falls on a slope, the ice breaks off and one slides FOREVER. It’s like rolling on marbles. Without an ice axe for self-arrest, one winds up rolling off the 500 foot precipice that’s at the bottom of every one these snow fields.

Atypical Mountain Critters

As I may have mentioned previously, I take safety in the outdoors pretty seriously. That said, I normally don’t interfere with the recreating of others unless I see something really stupid. Case in point: We were taking pictures on the pass above when we saw a family from Virginia parked nearby. They had a five or six year old, who was playing in the snow while dad snapped the obligatory “snowball fight in July” photos. She slipped and slid about 50 feet down hill, laughing all the way while her parents laughed with her. If she had slid another 100 feet or so she would have gone off a cliff and landed on a talus slope below. It would have not been a good end to the family vacation.

I strolled over to Dad and cautioned him about the above. He thanked me and brought his daughter up to car.

I don’t mention this stuff, to demonstrate what a big kahuna I am. And, I certainly don't make a habit of interjecting myself into other people's lives, inasmuch as I'm a "live and let live" sort. But I would have felt really bad, had someone gotton hurt because I didn't say anything under those circumstances.

There are risks to enjoying the beauty of God’s creation. Those risks are certainly worth it. One just needs to be careful.

Cheers.

R. Sherman

*Other "Trips" posts may be found here. Sorry to keep recycling from my other blog, but I continue to be busy. -- RDS