Beartooth Pass
Journal Day 10
8/3/04--Tuesday
Idaho Falls ID to Billings MT through Yellowstone.
Slept til 10:15--oops! But we needed it.
Gone by 11:30. We can work quick if we have to.
As we continue east, we make so many crossings of the Snake River we lose count. At 4:42pm we add Wyoming to the list of states we have visited on this trip. The Grand Tetons are in view; we've never seen them from the west side. We take pictures every time they appear. Soon after, we return to Yellowstone, which we enjoyed so much two years ago. (Historical note: John Colter, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, was the first white man to see Yellowstone. When he tried to tell people about it, they laughed at him and called it Colter's Hell.) We are on a slightly different route today through the park; so we see some new areas. We see more fire damage than before from the 1988 wildfires. We actually see less wildlife--it must be bison and elk day. But that's nothing to complain about. Yellowstone is still amazing. Lewis and Clark could have added another volume to the journals if they had seen it. As we leave we stop at Roosevelt Lodge; might be a good place to stay on another visit. We were hoping to have dinner there; but the waiting list is too long. Gotta hit the road.
We really had no idea when we left Yellowstone that the most beautiful part of today's drive was still coming up. We are on the Beartooth scenic highway--heading back to Montana through Beartooth pass--at an elevation of almost 11,000'. This highway is said by some to be the most beautlful drive in the U.S. We have been on some spectacularly beautiful drives, but this certainly ranks at the top. Beautiful forested landscape, tremendous views above treeline, challenging switchbacks on the descent. Even Garrett was a little nervous. (Dale, Kelly & John--the popup is still intact; it certainly tows well!) We even get great music--Radio 99.3 FM "The Mountain; Rock n' Roll that's unique."
After the pass we stopped for pizza in Red Lodge, MT. The cook made a mistake and we ended up with 2 pizzas for the price of one!
Nice camp in Billing, MT. Great day.
8/3/04--Tuesday
Idaho Falls ID to Billings MT through Yellowstone.
Slept til 10:15--oops! But we needed it.
Gone by 11:30. We can work quick if we have to.
As we continue east, we make so many crossings of the Snake River we lose count. At 4:42pm we add Wyoming to the list of states we have visited on this trip. The Grand Tetons are in view; we've never seen them from the west side. We take pictures every time they appear. Soon after, we return to Yellowstone, which we enjoyed so much two years ago. (Historical note: John Colter, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, was the first white man to see Yellowstone. When he tried to tell people about it, they laughed at him and called it Colter's Hell.) We are on a slightly different route today through the park; so we see some new areas. We see more fire damage than before from the 1988 wildfires. We actually see less wildlife--it must be bison and elk day. But that's nothing to complain about. Yellowstone is still amazing. Lewis and Clark could have added another volume to the journals if they had seen it. As we leave we stop at Roosevelt Lodge; might be a good place to stay on another visit. We were hoping to have dinner there; but the waiting list is too long. Gotta hit the road.
We really had no idea when we left Yellowstone that the most beautiful part of today's drive was still coming up. We are on the Beartooth scenic highway--heading back to Montana through Beartooth pass--at an elevation of almost 11,000'. This highway is said by some to be the most beautlful drive in the U.S. We have been on some spectacularly beautiful drives, but this certainly ranks at the top. Beautiful forested landscape, tremendous views above treeline, challenging switchbacks on the descent. Even Garrett was a little nervous. (Dale, Kelly & John--the popup is still intact; it certainly tows well!) We even get great music--Radio 99.3 FM "The Mountain; Rock n' Roll that's unique."
After the pass we stopped for pizza in Red Lodge, MT. The cook made a mistake and we ended up with 2 pizzas for the price of one!
Nice camp in Billing, MT. Great day.
posted by carol1211k | 10:57 AM
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