TravelStream™ news feed for member becsher on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/becsher en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 11 May 2009 11:20:17 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/becsher/6/1241837520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/becsher/6/1241837520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/becsher/6/1241837520/tpod.html Mon, 11 May 2009 11:20:17 -0400 Colorado/Utah hiking

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Canyonlands National Park, Utah, United States

We awoke early and headed out to Canyonlands National Park in Utah. The drive into the park was so incredible. We decided to take a 11 mile round trip hike in the Needles District. We had to drive for several miles down a gravel road to get to the trail head. The rock formations were so unusual. Each turn in the road brought new and increasing fantastic views. The hike we were about to embark upon was labeled moderate. After hiking the Druid Arch trail, I would rank it moderate to strenuous but I am old. The trail began with beautiful views of the rock formations and some blooming cactus. We stopped so often to take pictures I was not sure we could finish the trail today. The mileage seemed much longer than the 5.5 miles to Druid Arch. There was a lot of scrambling over scree and a ladder to climb in order to reach the top. There was very little shade as we hiked and hardly a cloud in the sky. The temperatures were in the low to mid 70's but with the sun barring down it seemed much warmer. I can not imagine doing this hike in August.  We walked in some very soft sand in the dry river bed. But the VIEWS the AWESOME VIEWS! The rock formations were spectacular. The Druid Arch area afforded us uncomparable scenery. We got a much closer view of the Needles which are the multi colored rock formations you will see in our photos. It is amazing to think that the power of water can create such beauty. It was so hard to leave this beautiful spot but we needed to hike another 5.5 miles to the car. The trail was sometimes hard to follow and park service marks the trails with cairns (stacks of rocks piled on top of each other). We made the switch from walking in the river bed to the climb out of the canyon and about ½ mile in, Will heard someone calling for help. We walked along the ridge and saw a young man in the river bed who, had been lost for 3 hours without water. He had missed the marker from the riverbed to the trail that ran up from the canyon. We told him to walk the other direction in the riverbed and Will ran down into the canyon with water to meet him. He made sure the young man was hydrated and then walked back up the canyon with him to where we were waiting. He stayed with us until we reached the parking lot. He was camping with some friends at the Needles Outpost Campground but decided to do this trail alone. They got worried and were at the parking area when he arrived. The sun was starting to set and the colors of the rock formations seemed to change. The colors seemed brighter. This has to be one of the most beautiful places I have seen. We all were tired and ready for a bath and a good nights sleep.Kevin's notes: On our way out of Canyonlands we stopped to take some photos of the rocks at dusk. Becky was driving, while I was holding the camera looking for some shots. I noticed movement in the road and turned my head to see a jackrabbit crossing the road. Becky and I said, "pretty rabbit". The jackrabbit was heading across the road and would have made it if it had not freaked out. Instead of continuing across the road it turned parallel with the car IN OUR LANE! It started weaving and bobbing as it tried to cross the road and Becky made the same movements. It was like they were in sync, ever move by the bunny was duplicated by Becky. Now understand Becky wouldn't hurt a flea. As we got closer to the rabbit, Becky got more vocal and every turn she made was mirrored by Bugs bunny. One final move by the bunny sealed it's fate as the 16 inch Goodyear's won the battle of bob and weave. Should have taken a left at Albuquerque!
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Durango, Colorado, United States

We awoke this morning to a beautiful lake view and gorgeous aspen trees. The sky was clear and was sparkling on the lake ice. I got up and took several pictures but the snow was so deep I could not go very far. The lodge was beautiful made of thick lodgepole pines. I went in to get a cup of coffee and met both owners of the Mesa Lake Lodge. The were very knowledgeable of the area and extremely friendly. We were the only guests from the night before and they were wondering how we ever found their place. Kevin and Steve,.owner, talked fishing. Steve new all the best spots to fish. We will be back here again. They have been owners for the last year and still working on renovations. We found the cabins very cozy and rustic. The views are outstanding! We headed on down the highway over several unnamed passes enjoying beautiful mountain scenery. We arrived at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. I am not sure what we were expecting but what we got were some awesome views! The Gunnison River flows swiftly through the magnificent gorge sculpting a work of art. In just 48 miles in the Black Canyon the Gunnison River loses more elevation that the 1500 mile Mississippi River does from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. This swift action enabled the river to erode the touch rock. At painted rocks pull out we had fantastic views of the "dragons". These color variations in the cliffs across the gorge are actually hardened molten rock which intruded into the existing rock. They have shapes that do look like dragons. This is also the narrowest park of the canyon. The views here of the Black Canyon are spectacular. We drove to the High Point parking area and started out on a 3 mile moderate hike to Warner Point. The trail was nice and views along the way were awesome. We stopped frequently for picture opportunities. Once we reached the end of the trail we were rewarded with breathtaking views of the canyon and beautiful snow covered mountains. We wished we had more time for exploring this beautiful national park. Few people come here and enjoy this awesome scenery, we are truly glad we did not miss this! We set out for Durango on the Million Dollar Highway. What a breathtaking drive in many ways (especially with Kevin driving)! The first pass we crossed was the Red Mountain Pass (11008 ft). The switchbacks were sharp and drop offs shear. We stopped at some fabulous water falls to take some photos. The drive was just in its infancy and the scenery was nonstop majesty. We reached Silverton and stopped for an ice cream at a little county store. This town looks like something from the early gold rush years. There is a steam engine train that takes tourists from Durango to Silverton daily offering fantastic views as well as a ride into history. Every year there is a bike race called the Iron Horse which begins in Durango and ends in Silverton and the bikers race the steam engine to the top. We passed many old abandoned gold mines and towns. We headed over Melas Divide (10910 ft) and Coal Bank Pass (10440 ft). This was well worth the drive! We arrived in Durango and met up with my son William who works for the Southwest Conservation Corps.
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Dinosaur, Colorado, United States

We were up and ready to go early this morning as we have a lot of ground to cover. We started out of Steamboat and decided to take a side trip to Steamboat Lake which a local suggested to us. The scenery was incredible, the mountains were fantastic! Parts of the drive reminded me of being in parts of Switzerland. We gained more elevation and hence more snow was on the ground and it was cooler than down in Steamboat. Kevin and I fell in love with the area and wished we could own one of the many beautiful homes for sell on this road. We arrived at Steamboat Lake which still had ice along the shore. There were several men fly fishing in the lake catching some nice size Rainbow Trout (20 inches) and some Cuttbow (a cross bread of the Rainbow and Cutthroat). The fishermen told us that they had caught 6 fish in 45 minutes. They were getting cold even though they were used waders. There were some fishermen in boats fishing out in the lake. This lake was so serene with the mountains towering on all sides. The wind was kicking up and temperature was cool even though it was a sunny day. We took off and headed for Dinosaur National Monument which was a 2 hour drive. The scenery quickly changed once we got out of the mountains. It looked much like the old westerns and we were looking for the Duke to come riding by on his horse. The area was pretty desolate we saw some ranches with lots of cattle and the only wildlife was the many pronghorns. We arrived in Dinosaur only to find out that this visitor center was closed for the season so we headed for Vernal, Utah to the second entrance to the park. As we took the road up to the park from Vernal we followed the beautiful Green River. We arrived at the visitor center and found out that the Dinosaur Quarry was closed. This was unfortunate. I visited here with my son about 16 years ago and went to the Dinosaur Quarry. They have excavated a hillside and found a T-rex skull including the teeth!! It was awesome. The building which encloses this find has had some structural changes due to the terrain and the building is no longer safe. The ranger today told us that the park did get some spending (stimulus) money and will be rebuilding the structure in a few years. We will be back! We took the 1.5 mile Fossil Trail hike today. We arrived at the Morrison area and saw the humerus, vertebrae, and femur of a Brontosaurus. These bones were embedded in the rock in different areas on this hillside. It was amazing to think we were actually touching the fossils of a dinosaur!! We continued our walk down the trail and came across fossils of clams and insects. It is incredible to think that this area was actually under the sea at some point in history. The land here is so dry and arid now. On the hike back to the visitor center we saw a group of park service people on top of a hill doing some excavating. The ranger told us they had found fossils of the brachiosaurs and a new species they found and are sending to Brigham Young University. We headed on to Grand Junction from here to find a place for the night. We ended up driving down a two lane road outside of Grand Junction and up a beautiful canyon into the mountains again. It was getting dark and the road was very curvy. A deer startled both of us and came very close to hitting the car. We found a lodge that was open after we crossed the pass. They gave us a great deal on a two bedroom cabin. There is a fireplace and he supplied us with a couple bundles of wood. We walked into the cabin, after clearing away about a foot of snow and entered our rustic dwelling. In one of the small bedrooms we looked out of the window and snow nearly reached the top. There was a small room off of the back of the cabin with windows all around. It had a bed and we figured it would be great views in the morning of the lake.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/becsher/5/1221138600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/becsher/5/1221138600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/becsher/5/1221138600/tpod.html Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:19:04 -0400 Yellowstone and Grand Tetons

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Jackson, Wyoming, United States

9/11/08 Today we decided to go hiking and fishing. We got our fishing license (another $14.95 per day) and headed for the Taggart Lake Trailhead. We will be fishing at Taggart and Bradley Lake today. These two lakes were formed like Jenny Lake by the glaciers gouging the land and filling with water. The hike in was a bit hilly but the views were breathtaking. These lakes sit literally at the base of the Teton Range. As we fished these lakes we could look ahead and see the magnificent mountains looming overhead. The mountains received some snow last night and they looked so majestic. There were a few clouds out but we had a mostly sunny day. We fished several different places around Taggart Lake and had no luck as the lake was too shallow near the banks. We then hiked to Bradley Lake another 2 miles away. Once again the views were incredible. We hiked about half way around this beautiful lake and started fishing. The lake was a little deeper there. Kevin caught a 16 inch Brook Trout, which turned out to be the only fish we caught on these two lakes. As we were hiking out from Bradley Lake, I took the lead. I was looking up at the scenery when I felt something squirm under my foot. I looked down and there was a snake under my foot of course I screamed and the snake slithered into the brush. I hate snakes!! We wanted to get back on the Snake River and catch some Rainbow Trout. We hiked out to the trailhead and all in all we hiked about 5 miles. We caught one fish but the views made up for the lack of fish. We stopped at Signal Mountain Lodge to eat some dinner. This lodge sits on Jackson Lake. The views from the dining room of Mt. Moran reflecting into Jackson Lake were wonderful. Then we headed to our favorite Wyoming fishing hole on the Snake River. Kevin started catching fish left and right. He ended up catching 6 Cutthroat Trout and I caught 2 (had to make him feel better since I out fished him yesterday). Yesterday when we were fishing it was raining but since today was so clear, we had unobstructed views of the Teton Range. Not only did we have excellent mountain views but once again we were heard the bugling of the elk and even heard a howling wolf. It was a great day.
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Jackson, Wyoming, United States

9/12/08 Today we hiked the Cascade Canyon and on up to Lake Solitude. We had originally planned to backpack this route but because of problems with my feet we decided to wait a few days. The weather was fantastic. There were no clouds and the temperature was in the upper 50's. We travelled the same trail we used several days ago by taking the boat across Jenny Lake as this cuts off 2 miles each way. We flew past the Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point where we previously took pictures. We wanted to get to Lake Solitude as soon as possible. Since the weather was better today (no clouds) we took more pictures of the beautiful Cascade Canyon. From the boat dock to the Forks of the Canyon was 4.5 miles then we took the North Fork Trail another 2.7 miles (steep!) up to Lake Solitude. As we hiked up the canyon, views of the Teton Range were quite impressive. We arrived at the Forks of the Canyon to find many people resting and eating lunch. We were afraid they were going to Lake Solitude so we hustled to get there first, but a majority of these people just returned to the boat dock. From the Forks we had another 1200 feet in 2.7 miles to go. We kept our heads down focused on the trail. After about a mile of hiking we looked behind us and the views of the Tetons were absolutely breathtaking. We stopped several times to take pictures. We passed the North Fork Camping area and wished we had backpacked this trail and camped in this area. It was truly beautiful. We decided that we WILL come back and backpack this trail. The crowds thinned out once we passed the forks. We came upon a sign that said Lake Solitude 0.5 miles, walked another 50 yards and a second sign said Lake Solitude 200 yards...go figure. We were happy to see the second sign! We walked around the bend and there it was! I have tried so many times to reach Lake Solitude but for one reason or another have been unable to make the hike usually due to snow pack. But this time I made it with the help of my significant other. Lake Solitude is one of the many high country glacier lakes in the Grand Tetons. It sits at 9032 feet (we were sucking air at that altitude!). We sat on a rocky outcrop and had some lunch. The lake sits in a cirque with the Grand Teton (13,779 feet), Mt. Owen and the Teewinot Mountain looming above. The water in the lake was crystal clear. We could have stayed there all day enjoying the views. Another trail leads up from Lake Solitude to the Paintbrush Divide. It was an impressive trail climbing straight up the mountains behind the lake, someday maybe Kevin and I will do that trail as well. We talked to some guys who were fishing Lake Solitude and they said that the cutthroat trout were wearing them out. They were catching a trout on every cast. They told us that yesterday they caught 70 Cutthroat. We were very sorry we did not bring our fishing gear! If we had, we would still be fishing. We might never leave Lake Solitude except when they get that 22 foot snow pack. We started our trek down to the boat dock. We wanted to make sure we did not miss the last boat at 6 pm. We hiked as fast as we could down but my feet were aching. It was a mere 7.2 miles back which we hiked in 3 hours. We made it to the boat dock at 5:35 pm. Our round trip hike was 14.4 miles in 7 hours, this included frequent picture taking pit stops. We had a long 5 hour drive ahead of us to Salt Lake City. Four hours of the drive was on a pitch black, two lane road. We hated for our vacation to be over and wished we could live in this beautiful part of our country. Everyone should see Yellowstone and the Tetons at LEAST once in their life. Get off the beaten path and explore the treasures these two national parks have to offer. This will not be our last trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/becsher/5/1221100080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/becsher/5/1221100080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/becsher/5/1221100080/tpod.html Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:55:21 -0400 Yellowstone and Grand Tetons

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Jackson, Wyoming, United States

I did not sleep very well last night so I lay awake in the tent listening to the male elk bugling. Every fall the bull elk vie for the female elk affections. They start the bugling and fighting for their harem. We wanted to get up at 7 am and try to get to Lake Solitude. We broke camp and went to the ranger's station at Jenny Lake. The dark clouds hung heavy over the Teton range and especially through Cascade Canyon. I asked the Ranger about the weather and she said, "plan on getting wet". If we made the trip to Lake Solitude today we would not be able to see much due to the rain and the clouds. Instead we decided to get our Wyoming fishing license and do some fishing. We tried several places along the Gros Ventre River and below the Jackson Lake Dam but did not have any luck. It was raining the entire time. Our first fishing spot was a 1/4 mile downstream on Snake River from the Wilson road bridge. On my 3rd or 4th cast, I got a hit. It was an encouraging site, a pair of glasses. We stayed for another 15 minutes without pulling out the glass case, so, we left. On the cols Gros Ventre River, our luck was no better and we decided to head up to the Jackson Dam. Again, no luck. However, on our way to the dam we noticed some slow moving water about 3/4 - 1 mile downstream. We decided to check it out. Once at this area we loaded our gear and headed to the river. On the way we noticed a familiar sign, "bear activity area".  Oh oh, we kept our heads up looking for any rustling of the bushes or snorting sounds. When we got to the river, I picked a spot and Kevin another, within minutes we had fish on the line. I, pulled in a nice 14 or 15 inch Rainbow Trout. It was a beautiful fish and quite feisty. I had him in my hands and Mr. Slippery got away from me and stole Kevin's favorite lure. I am surprised he did not make me swim after that fish to retrieve the lure. We both had great luck on this part of the Snake River. All in all, we caught 8 Rainbow Trout and one Brook Trout. We heard the elk bugling and it sounded so close, sure enough a big bull elk appeared in the opening across the river from us. At one fishing spot we noticed ducks quickly flew away about 50 feet from us and Kevin said that something spooked them. Since this is bear territory, Kevin asked me to sing and so I did. He told me that the singing almost scared him away. As much as we hated to, we had to leave because it was getting dark. We hiked back up to the car and noticed that there were quite a few cars parked on the side of the road, usually means some wildlife. We thought it was probably elk which are so abundant in the park. We drove by and asked the Ranger what everyone was looking at and he told us that a Grizzly Bear had just come up from the Snake River uncomfortably close to where we were fishing. That sure does give you reason to pause. We were quite happy we did not met this Grizzly face to face on the Snake River.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/becsher/5/1221019080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/becsher/5/1221019080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/becsher/5/1221019080/tpod.html Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:02:50 -0400 Yellowstone and Grand Tetons

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Jackson, Wyoming, United States

The morning started off overcast with a chance of showers but greatly improved by noon. We decided to take the boat across Jenny Lake and hike through Cascade Canyon.  Jenny Lake sits at the base of the Teton Range. A glacier formed Jenny Lake. Many years ago more snow fell in the winter than could melt in the summer. Eventually it formed ice fields. With the weight of the snow increasing, ice formed deep within the snow fields and began to flow with gravity's pull (not global warming...). These deep snow packs became glaciers. Rocks avalanching off surrounding peaks joined other rocks that had been pulled and eroded from the sides of the canyon to become part of the slow moving river of ice. As the glacier retreated it left the U-shaped Cascade Canyon. As the glacier moved it left behind rock debris carried from the mountains which are called moraines. These moraines acted as a dam which held back meltwaters (notice I did not say global warming as this happened 12,000 years ago could this be cyclic???) forming Jenny Lake. There are several lakes in the Grand Teton National Park that were formed the same way. Jenny Lake is 1.5 miles long and 1 mile wide. It is 236 feet deep. The lake was named for the Jenny Leigh the wife of early trapper, explorer and valley homesteader Beaver "Dick" Leigh (What a name!). Taking the 9 min, $5  boat across Jenny Lake cut 2 miles off our hike. We hiked to Hidden Falls which cascades some 200 feet. The falls were very beautiful but crowded. We took our pictures and proceeded to Inspiration Point another ½ mile up hill. Once at Inspiration Point we were rewarded with fantastic views of the Jackson Valley, Jenny Lake and the Gros Ventre Mountains on the other side of the valley. We sat out on a rocky outcrop and had some lunch. We then ventured into the absolutely breathtaking Cascade Canyon. Every 50 feet or so we had to stop to take pictures. The mountains seemed so close. It is 4.5 miles from Inspiration Point to the Cascade Forks. From there you can hike another 2.7 miles to Lake Solitude. I have been trying to get to Lake Solitude each time I come to the Tetons but somehow it never works out and today was no different. Because we started so late we did not have enough time to reach Lake Solitude and get back before dark. I was disappointed but Kevin promised me that we could do it another day this week and I am holding him to that. The canyon trail is very flat after leaving Inspiration Point. The mountains on each side of the trail towered so high. We passed through some marshy areas and hoped to see some moose but they were not out. The sun was really shining and made the mountains with their snow caps seem so majestic. We both felt like we could hike forever with these views (it did not hurt that the trail was flat, too!). We are staying at the Jenny Lake Campground tonight and hope to get a good night rest after our 10 mile hike today.
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Jackson, Wyoming, United States

It is probably the nicest day since we have started our trip. It is so sunny and the temp is supposed to be in the low 70's. I went to the Ranger's Station here at Moose to inquire about the backcountry permits for our hike to Lake Solitude tomorrow. She told me that the altitude is 9100 feet and that there maybe some snow on Wednesday. She gave me a bear container (not to contain bears but food from bears!) and our permit. Kevin and I decided to take the Tram from Teton Village up the mountain. Unfortunately, the tram that I wanted to take was being rebuilt. So the hikes I wanted to do at the top were not an option. The new tram, which is supposed to be completed in December (it has been a 2 year project) will carry 100 passengers up 4000 feet in 9 minutes. Whoa!!!  Imagine how that will impact ski season. The view was still nice from the top of this tram and we had a little lunch that we had packed. We went to the Chapel of Transfiguration in the Tetons. It is a small chapel with incredible BIG views. We went inside the small chapel and behind the alter was a large picture window with a panoramic view of the Tetons. I took several pictures of the view from the window and the cross from the alter was so prominent in the Grand Teton. I just do not know if I could concentrate on a sermon with that view behind the pulpit.We then headed up into the Tetons to look for Moose in the Willow Flats by the Jackson Lake Lodge. We hiked for a while but did not see any Moose so we went to the Jackson Lake Lodge to enjoy the view from the huge, and I mean huge, picture window. The Tetons were formed when two Tetonic plates collided one causing an upward thrust creating the mountains and the other a downward thrust creating the valley. They are quite impressive. The mountains have no foothills they just jut up 6000 feet from the valley floor. Over the years the glaciers have dug impressive canyons in between these mountains. We wanted to hike the Moose Ponds at dusk to catch a glimpse of the elusive Moose. When we got to the trailhead it had been closed due to recent bear activity. Well we decided we could hike the loop in the opposite direction instead. So as we were hike on this narrow trail surrounded by trees we began to be uncomfortable thinking about the "recent bear activity". We decided a look at a moose was not worth our life so we headed back. We have seen so much wildlife during our trip and now we would only stop for bears, moose or wolves. Okay so we stopped again tonight to see a herd of elk in the Tetons. It is still awesome to see these animals in their own habitat. Kevin and I discussed our hike for tomorrow and decided to forgo the backpacking trip due to my swollen foot and blisters on my other foot. We have plenty of options for day hikes and/or renting bicycles tomorrow...maybe we can get in some fishing.
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Grand Tetons National Park, Wyoming, United States

We left Cody Wyoming this morning in overcast, damp and cool weather. We are driving through the West Entrance of Yellowstone to the South Entrance into the Grand Tetons today. We stopped at the Buffalo Bill Dam just outside of Cody. Buffalo Bill Cody spent many years promoting and attempting to raise money for irrigating thousands of arid acres east of Cody from the Shoshone River. Construction began on October  19, 1905 and was completed January 15, 1910. The total cost of the dam was $929,658 (can you imagine what that would cost today!). The length of the completed dam was 70 feet at the base and 200 feet at the crest and the height in 1910 was 328 feet. The dam was modified and expanded adding another 25 feet to the height. There was a very informative visitor center at the dam where we spent a good bit of time. It is amazing that they had the technology in 1905 to build this structure. When the last concrete block was laid in the dam on Jan. 15, 1910 it was 15 below zero....burrrr. We headed on our way to Yellowstone then on to Moose, Wyoming. We drove nearly every road into and out of Yellowstone. We made a few more stops for pictures in Yellowstone as we rounded the huge Yellowstone Lake and headed for the South Entrance. As we got closer to the Grand Tetons the weather started to improve some. We took some pictures but they were so hazy. We found out later that there were some forest fires around the Cody area and that caused the haze. We drove up the scenic Signal Mountain. The view from the top is spectacular. On the west side of the mountain you have fantastic views of the Teton Mountains with Jackson Lake in the fore ground. On the east side of the mountain you have beautiful views of the Jackson Hole Valley. We drove on down the park road and stopped to take some pictures of the pronghorns (antelope you know, Home on the Range...). There was one male and two females, it was fun to watch them. We headed on down to our cabin in Moose, Wyoming. This cabin is so awesome. The views of the Tetons from our side porch are fantastic and the Snake River is just 50 feet from our door.
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Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States

We left Mammoth Hot Springs today and headed for a short 1 mile hike to Wraith Falls. Now for all of you sci-fi fans that watch Stargate, you know the significance of this hike. The hike was short and sweet to a small water fall. We enjoyed the shortness of this hike. Kevin and I were still a little sore from the hike the night before to Osprey Falls. We stopped at the Roosevelt Ranger Station to see if the Beartooth Pass was open to Red Lodge Montana. The ranger had no idea so we decide to chance it and drive the pass. It was a great decision. The Beartooth Highway (Rt 212) starts at the Northeast Entrance of Yellowstone to Red Lodge Montana. We wanted to stop every 100 feet or so to take pictures. The views were incredible. The Beartooth Pass was at an elevation of 10.940 feet. We were well above tree line in the tundra. The mountain peaks were just beautiful, the mountain lakes so blue and the valleys so lush and green. It is a drive everyone should take at least once in their lives. The clouds were starting to roll in and we lost some of our view but we felt very privileged to see the awesome views prior to this point. We did get to see some Dall Sheep from a distance and got several pictures. The road was very curvy and the views so spectacular that it reminded us of Switzerland. Kevin loved driving these curvy roads and wish he had his motorcycle. We stopped in Red Lodge for dinner. This dinner was the cheapest so far this trip and it was great.  It was a small town with no stop lights and once you get out of town the speed limit is 70 mph on a two lane road. Those of you who know Kevin know that he loved this town! We stopped in this old time candy store in Red Lodge and felt like two big kids in the candy store. Of course we had to buy some. They had every candy imaginable in different barrels and we filled our paper bag full. We headed to Cody Wyoming for the night. The drive down was quite different than the Beartooth Hwy but beautiful in its own right. It reminded me of the old westerns. I told Kevin we should be riding some horses on the range here. Tomorrow we head through the East Entrance of Yellowstone and down to the Grand Tetons.
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