Pictures of the Week 2010-15
Hello
All,
Our next target destination was the Beartooth All-American Road in Montana & Wyoming. It has been on Dave’s bucket list for a very long time. To get to the Beartooth from Idaho Falls we had to cross Yellowstone National Park from west to east.
Departing Idaho Falls we went north on US-20 to West Yellowstone, MT where we entered the National Park. Traffic in the park was heavy and people were slowing down to see wildlife or just to take in the majesty of it all. We knew it was going to be slow going but we didn’t count on the road construction that was going on in the park along with the stoppage of traffic. It was throwing a real kink in our travel schedule. But, rather than get all worked up over something out of our control, we took a deep breath, relaxed and enjoyed the ride. We never tire of the sheer scenic beauty of the park anyway.
Here is a big boy that was chowing down beside the road.
Our next target destination was the Beartooth All-American Road in Montana & Wyoming. It has been on Dave’s bucket list for a very long time. To get to the Beartooth from Idaho Falls we had to cross Yellowstone National Park from west to east.
Departing Idaho Falls we went north on US-20 to West Yellowstone, MT where we entered the National Park. Traffic in the park was heavy and people were slowing down to see wildlife or just to take in the majesty of it all. We knew it was going to be slow going but we didn’t count on the road construction that was going on in the park along with the stoppage of traffic. It was throwing a real kink in our travel schedule. But, rather than get all worked up over something out of our control, we took a deep breath, relaxed and enjoyed the ride. We never tire of the sheer scenic beauty of the park anyway.
Here is a big boy that was chowing down beside the road.
Finally
making it into Lamar Valley on the east side of the park we stopped at Soda
Butte to stretch our legs and to snap a few photos. The travertine (calcium
carbonate) mound was formed more than a century ago by a hot spring.
In
the distance you can see the mountains that we were heading for.
Upon
departing the park through the northeast gate the highway becomes US-212, the
“Beartooth All-American Road,” also known as the Beartooth Scenic Byway.
Legendary for its beauty and history, this scenic drive is the highest
elevation road in the Northern Rockies, crossing Beartooth Pass at nearly
11,000 feet. On the drive the land transitions from lush forest to alpine
tundra in just a few miles. The road is only open seasonally from Memorial Day
weekend to mid-October.
Traveling into the mountains the scenery just kept getting better and better.
Traveling into the mountains the scenery just kept getting better and better.
Then
we started climbing--up up up! The road is excellent, although there are many
hairpin curves.
Finally,
we broke out on kind of a high rolling alpine plateau that went on for miles.
On the plateau we were still climbing towards the summit of the pass, just not
as steeply at this point. We stopped at
Beartooth Lake just to take in the wonder of the area.
After
snapping some photos at the lake we continued driving up the mountain pass. In
the following photo we are looking back over the rolling plateau and the road.
Note the number of switchback curves the road has.
There are numerous
high mountain lakes in the area. We stopped at many of them. It seemed like
there was a photo opportunity around every corner.
Once
we made it to the summit of the pass the only thing left was to wind our way
down the other side. Yes, that is our road down there in the following photo.
Traveling
the Beartooth Scenic Byway was an awesome experience--one that we would like to
do again someday. We made it safely down the mountain and stopped for the night
in Red Lodge, MT. Our adventure tomorrow will take us to the Chief Joseph
Scenic Byway, but more on that later.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns