The Bear Tooth Highway
Jun 20, 2023 12:17:16 #
This journey takes you along the Bear Tooth Mountains on what is recognized as perhaps the world's most scenic drive. It leaves Cooke City, Montana ( shot 1 ) and goes for 69 miles to Red Lodge, Montana. Its highest peak is right at 11,000 feet. The weather dictates if the road is open or closed to travel so it's important to know that in your planning.
You can leave the Yellowstone Park through its northern entry/exit point and it's a fairly short drive over to Cooke City, the starting point of the whole thing. You take out from there ( shot 2 ) and begin to escalate the elevation pretty soon. You'll pass some frozen lakes as you progress ( shots 3 and 4 ) , a couple of which never thaw out . You continue on to go higher and higher ( shot 5 and 6 ) until you reach the peak ( shot 7). I was told that you could see, on a clear day, some mountain peaks over 100 miles away. I could never identify which peaks they were.
You can expect to spend 2 to 3 hours on the ride, depending on how many stops you want to make and how cooperative the weather is. If you get anywhere near the Bear Tooth, don't pass up a chance to experience it.
You can leave the Yellowstone Park through its northern entry/exit point and it's a fairly short drive over to Cooke City, the starting point of the whole thing. You take out from there ( shot 2 ) and begin to escalate the elevation pretty soon. You'll pass some frozen lakes as you progress ( shots 3 and 4 ) , a couple of which never thaw out . You continue on to go higher and higher ( shot 5 and 6 ) until you reach the peak ( shot 7). I was told that you could see, on a clear day, some mountain peaks over 100 miles away. I could never identify which peaks they were.
You can expect to spend 2 to 3 hours on the ride, depending on how many stops you want to make and how cooperative the weather is. If you get anywhere near the Bear Tooth, don't pass up a chance to experience it.
Jun 20, 2023 12:20:20 #
Jun 20, 2023 12:20:21 #
Jun 20, 2023 12:23:51 #
Jun 20, 2023 12:25:55 #
Jun 20, 2023 12:32:27 #
Jun 20, 2023 12:39:06 #
UTMike wrote:
Thanks for the beautiful tour, Tom!
After two weeks of kicking around Yellowstone and some surrounding areas, I wasn't sure I was up for the Bear Tooth. My wife insisted on doing it and I'm so thankful that she did.
See you.
Jun 20, 2023 12:56:59 #
I’ve wanted to go to the Cooke City area since I first heard of Grasshopper Glacier on a visit to Yellowstone Park in 1966. It is several miles out of town, and you have to walk. I’m not in shape for that kind of hiking.
Story I heard at the time was that each year in mid summer the glacier melted a little and these frozen grasshoppers fell into the local mountain streams, feeding the young trout. Supposedly the trout fishing in the area was excellent as a result
Kinda forgot about it over the years. I just looked it up, and it seems the glaciers have melted so much in recent years that they can’t find any more grasshoppers trapped in the glacial ice. Guess I missed a chance.
https://www.geowyo.com/grasshopper-glacier.html
Thanks for the pictures and reminding me of the area. I was planning a long drive west for next year, and I’ll add the area to my route. Maybe no grasshoppers but should be some great views.
Story I heard at the time was that each year in mid summer the glacier melted a little and these frozen grasshoppers fell into the local mountain streams, feeding the young trout. Supposedly the trout fishing in the area was excellent as a result
Kinda forgot about it over the years. I just looked it up, and it seems the glaciers have melted so much in recent years that they can’t find any more grasshoppers trapped in the glacial ice. Guess I missed a chance.
https://www.geowyo.com/grasshopper-glacier.html
Thanks for the pictures and reminding me of the area. I was planning a long drive west for next year, and I’ll add the area to my route. Maybe no grasshoppers but should be some great views.
Jun 20, 2023 13:45:26 #
MrPhotog wrote:
I’ve wanted to go to the Cooke City area since I f... (show quote)
You won't regret any effort you have to make to ride the Bear Tooth.
Jun 20, 2023 14:43:41 #
black mamba wrote:
You won't regret any effort you have to make to ride the Bear Tooth.
The question is: motorcycle, car, or RV? Or RV towing motorcycle? And how much camera gear will I carry?
In 1963 I saw a VW camper at the Auto Show in Chicago. On my trip on 1966, as we went through Yellowstone, I knew when I came back I wanted a vehicle that had a built in darkroom and a motorcycle, scooter, or minibike.
So i started drawing one, based around a panel truck. No idea where those sketches are, but I can make a more compact darkroom setup now than I could back then. And a digital darkroom wasn’t even a dream in 1966. 😎. Gotta see about renting an RV next year.
Jun 20, 2023 15:08:36 #
Jun 20, 2023 16:49:33 #
MrPhotog wrote:
The question is: motorcycle, car, or RV? Or RV tow... (show quote)
It really doesn't matter what you're driving, just go. I'll recount, though, an incident that did involve motorcycles. i had pulled over at the highest point in the drive. A group of 7 motorcyclist out on a ride pulled over right behind me. They were a good bunch of guys and we talked with them for a bit. One of them asked if we would use their camera and take a group picture of them. As I was getting ready with their camera, one of them went to his saddlebag and pulled out a frozen pizza....which they had agreed to eat at the top to celebrate the trip. I wish you could have seen them gnawing at those pieces of pizza. I saw every kind of facial expression imaginable I took a shot of that episode and when they were done, I took another shot for a more normal group picture.
Jun 20, 2023 16:52:40 #
Jun 20, 2023 17:42:15 #
black mamba wrote:
This journey takes you along the Bear Tooth Mounta... (show quote)
Stunning, well-shot scenery 🌀💙🏆💙🌀
Jun 20, 2023 18:07:32 #
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