BEARTOOTH HIGHWAY-YELLOWSTONE AND THE TETONS
Oct 2017
Above-Near Bearcreek coming into Red Lodge Montana from The Big Horn Basin.
The Beartooth Highway which opened in 1936 is a feat of engineering and it goes through stunning mountain scenery. The road runs between Red Lodge- Montana and Cooke City-Montana. It leads into Yellowstone Park on the north side and exits into Yellowstone at the Lamar Valley.
It starts (from Red Lodge) as a series of steep zigzags and switchbacks to almost 11,000 foot ft high Beartooth Pass. Then levelling off into a wide plateau near the top before descending to Cooke City, which forms the northeast gateway to Yellowstone National Park.
Snowstorms can occur even in the middle of the summer and the pass is also known for strong winds and severe thunderstorms. It is a 69-mile trip from Red Lodge to Cooke City.
As one leaves Red Lodge the road seems to be heading into a dead end of a valley.
However the road then turns back on itself twisting through switchbacks up the steep sides to a plateau.
Eventually one gets above the tree line and there is ice-even in summer.
Below-Almost the same view twenty years ago. Less ice but a hotter day.
Above – A dizzying look down at where we came from.
The shot above at the summit was taken in almost freezing temperature and it was August.
Looking toward Yellowstone from Island lake.
Above–Beartooth Lake.
Below- Near Cooke City almost at Yellowstone’s door.
Above- One enters Yellowstone in the north through the beautiful Lamar Valley.
Below one can see why it is called the yellow-stone.
The photo below was taken twenty years ago showing the burnt out areas from the previous years fires. All new growth now.
Below- I have to mention The Tetons which stand at the southern entrance into Yellowstone. I did not manage a trip there this year so these photos are from twenty years ago.
