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Driving back into Yellowstone one last time from Gardiner, we headed for the Tower Falls area in the NE section of the Park. Tower Falls itself was hard to photograph without a lengthy hike to its base but the nearby Yellowstone River canyon made this destination worthwhile.
After leaving the Park by its NE entrance and passing through Cooke City, we began the Beartooth Scenic Highway which leads to Red Lodge, an all-year resort town in Montana. The road was excellent! We expected gravel sections and rough one-way stretches because of road repairs, not to mention lengthy delays, but the season’s repairs had apparently been completed. Moreover, despite the nearly 11,000 ft elevation at the top, the steepest grade was much less than the 10% grades of Teton Pass near Jackson. Our Prius practically coasted to the top. In addition, forest fires to the north in Montana considerately blew most of their smoke elsewhere.
Here’s the scene today at Beartooth Lake with Beartooth Butte in the background:
Climbing higher above the timber line, the views become spectacular with sharp drop-offs:
Aspen trees far below were transitioning to fall colors.
This last photo was taken near the highest elevation reached by the road, 10,974 ft.
Believe it or not, it is possible to ski down into this bowl in early summer. Usually Beartooth Pass opens by late May and skiers and snowboarders can then drive to this spot. After skiing down, their return to the top is by means of a ski lift (just out of the photo to the right). At first, we laughed when we read the words, “SKI BTP” scratched into the snow bank below but they’ve been skiing here since 1966!
The drive from Red Lodge to Billings, MT, is flat and fast --- and pretty, too, in a rural sort of way. Before continuing eastward, we’ll pause in Billings for an oil change, car wash and hair cut --- business that every traveler has to attend to eventually, if they stay on the road long enough.