We were headed north, and soon in Montana. We were gaining elevation all the time, and left the plateau behind for the mountains. Still climbing, we dropped into a narrow hidden valley containing the town of Red Lodge. Just a few streets wide, Red Lodge is best know for its outdoor recreational opportunities: skiing, mountain biking, and backpacking. We were there for the shopping, however. Unfortunately, the entire main street was torn up and under construction. Some businesses weren’t even open, and we couldn’t seem to find anything we had to have in the ones that were. So we settled for coffee and pastries at a bakery, and headed out of town along the Beartooth Highway.
The Beartooth Highway is the section of U.S. Highway 212 between Red Lodge and Cooke City, Montana. It has been
called the most beautiful drive in America, tracing a series of steep zigzags and switchbacks, along the Montana-Wyoming border to the 10,947 foot high Beartooth Pass. Because of heavy snowfall at the top, the pass is usually open each year only from mid May through mid October, weather conditions permitting. We made quite a few photostops along this spectacular route: for waterfalls, hiking to overlooks for panoramic views and feeding the chipmunks, throwing rocks into alpine lakes, watching extreme skiers, photo bombing each other and creating Vines, and playing in the snow. We took out a bag of chips to see when it would explode (somewhere around 9,500 feet) and took silly photos of the kids doing handstands and Dane with his bison scrotum bag. An odd thing has been happening on this trip. The maturity level is declining and the goofiness escalating on a daily basis. I’m not sure why, but for some reason we are all acting about 12 years old. Maybe we just needed to act like kids again!We stopped along a rushing stream in the Gallatin National Forest to have lunch. We were hungry earlier but it was just too cold to be outside! We had to wait until we descended in elevation a little for it to be warm enough for our picnic. We love these impromptu stops at
lunchtime. A simple sandwich tastes great when eaten outdoors, surrounded by incredible scenery. Everyone got a chance to stretch their legs and play in the water as well.We have entered an area where wild animals rule, as evidenced by the signs we are now seeing. “Food Storage Required.” “No Tents.” “This Is Grizzly Bear Country.” And finally, we are in Yellowstone National Park! Just minutes into the park, we have our first wildlife sighting. A small herd of bison are resting near Soda Butte Creek. And then, grizzlies! A mother and baby bear were high on a slope above the creek valley, and a generous bear watcher let us look through his scope to see them. We had hoped to see bears, but to see them this quickly seems a huge stroke of luck. Maybe that rainbow this morning brought us some today.
At Soda Butte, we found dozens of mud nests full of white-throated swifts. These birds reminded everyone of barn swallows, as they swooped in and out of their nests. We were headed to Gardiner, just outside Yellowstone’s north entrance, and on the way there our wildlife sightings included many more bison in the Lamar Valley, pronghorn antelopes, a coyote, and some elk (all does). It was a great start to our park visit!
Tonight and tomorrow we are staying in cabins in Gardiner. We made Italian Beef and coleslaw for dinner, and relaxed on the front porch watching black storm clouds over the mountains. They brought a huge gust of wind and a few raindrops, but nothing more. All of us are tired tonight, and are going to allow ourselves to sleep in until 7:00 in the morning. But the wonders of Yellowstone are waiting, and we can’t wait to explore them! Goodnight!
These are great photos! Loving reading about your adventures!
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