Beartooth Highway

Tookmy wife over the Beartooth Highway by car on June 3rd. The highway wasopened for the season in May. Checked as I am posting and it iscurrently closed at Visa Point for snow, ice on the highway and highwinds.
We made a one week trip to Yellowstone (not by MC). On Sat, we drovethrough Lamar Valley and left Yellowstone at the NE entrance,over theBeartooth to Red Lodge, MT. Then to Cody, WY and took the BB Cody ScenicHwy back to Yellowstone east entrance.

The Beartooth is an amazing road. With week in the stunning Yellowstone,my wife said the Beartooth was the best part of the trip.









Going east to Red Lodge

Thanks for the report Joe.
I was a little surprised by the picture of people wearing shorts in the high country, but I suppose they weren't too far from their cars.
Wish I lived closer to that country.

The earliest I've ever ridden Beartooth was in mid-July and there wasn't that much snow left by then. Was there, Jim?

Phil Tarman said:

The earliest I've ever ridden Beartooth was in mid-July and there wasn't that much snow left by then. Was there, Jim?

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Phil, we crossed Beartooth on a "bluebird" day.

I've crossed Beartooth Pass several times - all in mid summer. Frosty's pictures have way more snow than I've seen there. I learned not to attempt crossing high passes too early when I got caught in snow outside Breckenridge CO sometime in about the mid 90s.

On one crossing of Beartooth I began in Cody WY where it was 95 degrees and sunny. On Beartooth the weather changed several times from sunny, to cloudy, to windy, to rainy, to snowing, then snowing harder, then thunderstorms as I decended, to drenching rain and lightning east of Red Lodge. One of those trips you tend to remember. On top of Beartooth the weather was so bad I considered sitting under the big snowblower that was parked there. I did better than the Harley riders in their short sleeves and dew rags.

I have crossed the Bear tooth Pass twice. Both were in the month of September (different years) and there was very little snow left from previous winter and none yet, for the upcoming winter.

I loved riding Beartooth Pass! I rode it a couple of years ago after I left Spearfish. The only downer is the amount of RV traffic - but the scenery is incredible!

Beartooth was closed when I came thru last month. As were a number of roads in the Park. An other reason to go back. Can now tell you what sage brush smells like in rain Hail and snow. Been there done...

Beartooth is certainly one of the best motorcycle roads I've been on. Did it in August and no snow on the roads, a little in the valleys.

Terry

junglejim said:

...
I was a little surprised by the picture of people wearing shorts in the high country, but I suppose they weren't too far from their cars.

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We were wearing jackets. Yellowstone was in the 70's. The coolest temp I saw along the top was 46. Warm in the sun. Red Lodge was 80. We ate lunch outdoors, but in the shade. Beautiful day! BTW, it snowed in Yellowstone yesterday. Coyote Chris texted that he was under siege by a storm a Quigley Shoot near Forsyth,MT. Weather out west ... listen to Mom ... take a coat.