Impromtu Trip Up the Beartooth Highway

Beartooth Lake - Ice Starting to Break Up (June '23)

After a much needed shower at Canyon Campground on Sunday afternoon, I decided to do an audible and head up to the NE Entrance. The weather was nice and it was early enough that I felt comfortable making the trip up the Beartooth Highway and back to my campsite before dark.

I had also been up to Cooke City earlier this trip, so I wasn't expecting to spend much time driving through these little gateway communities.  Cooke City does has a nice little museum in their visitor center which is worth a visit, especially if you are in need of a public restroom!  Several years ago, my cell phone died and they were gracious enough to allow me to use their phone to call David to let him know I was alright.

Check out this little fox kit, seen behind an old condemned building in Cooke City.  I've been told there is a den in that area, where there have been as many as eight kits seen playing with their momma. During my 30 minutes watching, I only saw this little one.  But I have since seen photos from others later in June of the entire family, so I know they are doing well.

Also in Cooke City and worth a stop is the Cooke City Store, a National Register of Historic Places dating back to 1886.  While still a fully operational local market, a walk through feels like a living museum with items dating back to the early 20th century!

My Sunday afternoon trip up the Beartooth Highway was abruptly interrupted, however, when I noticed a small gathering of people in a pullout just as you head north out of town.  OMG . . . it was a grizzly bear with two yearling cubs!

The sow kept an occasional eye on the growing crowd as car doors opened and closed.  We didn't really seem to be much of a bother to her, although one of her cubs was continually getting up on its hind legs to get a better look around.  After spending nearly an hour watching them . . . I knew I needed to get going if I wanted to make it to the Beartooth Pass and back to camp by dark!

The drive was beautiful.  With the recent rains, many of the roadside waterfalls were rushing.  Here's the one video I was able to safely get from the shoulder of the road.

Keeping a close watch on the time, I was able to make it up to the Beartooth Pass before having to turn around and head back south to Yellowstone. Driving the switchbacks was beautiful . . . and seeing the deep snow pack along the road was a marvel when you consider all that goes into digging out the road for public traffic by Memorial Day each year.

It was around 7:30p when I turned around.  As I approached Cooke City, I noted that the grizzly mom + cubs were still foraging around in the same area where I had seen them hours earlier.  I guess the coming and going of bystanders didn't affect them much.  That made me happy!