Our Labor Day drive also included a trip over the Beartooth Pass between Red Lodge, Montana and Cooke City, Montana. Doug had never been there and it has been several years since I saw it, so we decided to travel in that direction for our return home from seeing Daren and Marlene in Townsend.
It is an incredibly high ascent over the mountain with many switchbacks. The top is over 11,000 feet in elevation. We read where the pass was built mainly for a tourist attraction. It is closed in the winter, which isn’t surprising since there are still a few snowdrifts visible in August. It is a beautiful ride with areas of forest and many small mountain lakes. Because of the lack of moisture this summer, it was a little dry on top but we did see some wildflowers. The view out over the mountains and valleys was like being on top of the world. It is amazing that a road like this could be built up the side of a mountain.
