Tag: Beartooth Loop National Recreational Trail

Gardner Lake & Beartooth Pass, Wyoming (8-14-12 & 8-15-12)

Days 7 & 8 of Lupe’s 2012 Dingo Vacation to the West Coast.

The sky was just starting to get light.  Lupe and SPHP were up and out of Lupe’s “tiny house” (tent) to greet the day before Lanis woke up.  Lupe, Lanis and SPHP were camped on the beautiful Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone River.  Lupe sat on SPHP’s lap wrapped in a blanket for a long time, watching the sunlight start shining on Pilot (11,699 ft.) and Index (11,240 ft.) Peaks beyond the bend in the river.

After a while, Lupe felt like sniffing around in the forest.  After two days in Yellowstone National Park, where she wasn’t free to do much more than ride in Lanis’ Honda Element, Lupe was just happy to be free again.  While SPHP made breakfast, Lupe roamed a little downstream exploring the Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone.

Lupe explores the Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone River in the early morning light.
Lupe explores the Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone River in the early morning light.
A deer visited Lupe's camp.
A deer visited Lupe’s camp.
So did a spider.
So did a spider.
But Lupe was too busy watching squirrels to worry about deer and spiders.
But Lupe was too busy watching squirrels to worry about the deer and spider.

Eventually Lanis woke up.  Lanis & SPHP discussed plans for the day.  If Lupe was going to get all the way to the west coast, it was probably time for her to start making her way farther W pretty soon.  However, since Lupe’s recent trip to Beauty and Becker Lakes had been so gorgeous, SPHP suggested spending one more day in the Beartooths before moving on.  Lupe would get a lot of exercise, which would make her happier riding in the Element the following day.  Lanis agreed.

The Honda Element and Lupe's tiny house along the Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone River.
The Honda Element and Lupe’s tiny house along the Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone River.
Lanis has breakfast along the river with Pilot and Index Peak in the distance. It was pretty hazy out all day long due to big forest fires in Idaho.
Lanis has breakfast along the river with Pilot (L) and Index (R) Peaks in the distance. It was pretty hazy out all day long due to big forest fires far away in Idaho.

After breakfast, Lupe, Lanis and SPHP hopped in the Element and headed E on the Beartooth Hwy No. 212.  Lanis stopped at the Top of the World store.  SPHP ran in to buy a couple of topo maps.  Meanwhile, Lanis checked out the directions outside.

The directions outside the Top of the World Store weren't as helpful as Lanis had hoped.
The directions outside the Top of the World Store weren’t as helpful as Lanis had hoped.

After consulting SPHP’s new topo maps, it was decided to check out part of the Beartooth Loop National Recreational Trail.  There was a trailhead just a few miles E along Hwy 212 near Long Lake.  Soon Lupe, Lanis and SPHP were setting out on the trail.  Lupe was very happy!  There was a lot of open ground with sweeping vistas where she could run and run.  She was full of energy!

The trail went past several lakes.  Hauser Lake came first.  Quite a bit farther on, down in a valley, Lupe reached Losekamp Lake.  From Losekamp Lake, Lupe followed a spur trail that wound E up onto a ridge N of Tibbs Butte.  Up on the ridge, Lupe, Lanis and SPHP turned N to reach Gardner Lake – Lupe’s ultimate destination.

Open ground along the Beartooth Loop National Recreational Trail. Lupe ran all day!
Open ground along the Beartooth Loop National Recreational Trail. Lupe ran all day!
Gardner Lake in the Beartooths. Photo looks N along the W shore.
Gardner Lake in the Beartooths. Photo looks N along the W shore.
Mountains NW of Gardner Lake.
Mountains NW of Gardner Lake.

The trek to Gardner Lake wasn’t as spectacularly beautiful as Lupe’s trip to Beauty and Becker Lakes a few days earlier.  There weren’t as many lakes and streams, the mountains didn’t seem quite as close or high, the forests were sparser and more distant, and there weren’t as many wildflowers.

On the other hand, there was much more open grassland where Lupe could race along with her nose to the ground sniffing at top speed.  At some points, there were some pretty grand sweeping vistas.  Best of all, there was absolutely no one else around.  And at Gardner Lake, Lanis did manage to find some pretty nice wildflowers near the shore.Wildflowers near Gardner Lake, Beartooths, WY 8-14-12Wildflowers near Gardner Lake, Beartooths, WY 8-14-12

Wildflowers at Gardner Lake.
Wildflowers at Gardner Lake.

Except for a long exploration of the forested ridge NE of Losekamp Lake, where Lanis and SPHP split up for a while, Lupe’s return trip from Gardner Lake just retraced her path from earlier in the day.  By the time Lupe was back at the Honda Element again, there was no question that she’d gotten enough exercise.  She had run all day long.  It had been a wonderful day to be a Carolina Dog wild and free in the Beartooths!

Lupe and Lanis near a pond just downstream of Gardner Lake. Tibbs Butte is seen in the distance. Photo looks S.
Lupe and Lanis near a pond just downstream of Gardner Lake. Tibbs Butte is seen in the distance. Photo looks S.

Lupe, Lanis and SPHP returned to the campsite on the Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone River for another night in Lupe’s tiny house.  During her last evening on the beautiful river, the American Dingo slept very soundly.

The next morning, it was time to leave the Beartooths and start heading farther W.  After breakfast, Lanis and SPHP broke camp and packed up Lupe’s tiny house.  When everything was ready, Lupe jumped up into the Honda Element ready for whatever adventure might be next.

Lanis drove the Element E on Beartooth Hwy No. 212 again, just like the day before.  This time, Lupe was going to go over 10,947 foot Beartooth Pass, the highest point she had ever been to yet!  She was then going to cross the border into Montana for the very first time, making Montana the 3rd Lupe state!

Just a few miles before reaching Beartooth Pass, Hwy 212 was up on top of barren mountains overlooking Gardner Lake, where Lupe had been just the day before.  Naturally, Lupe, Lanis and SPHP wanted to stop and take a look at Gardner Lake from above.

From the Beartooth Hwy overlook, Lupe surveys Gardner Lake, where she'd had such a good time running around the day before. Tibbs Butte is seen on the L.
From the Beartooth Hwy overlook, Lupe surveys Gardner Lake, where she’d had such a good time running around the day before. Tibbs Butte is seen on the L.

Gardner Lake from Hwy 212, Beartooths, WY 8-15-12

Lanis and Gardner Lake.
Lanis and Gardner Lake.

Fog started sweeping over the ridge ahead as Lupe neared Beartooth Pass.  Up at the pass, the tops of the mountains were mostly clear, but the giant valleys and canyons to the N were full of clouds.  Lupe, Lanis and SPHP stopped for 20 or 30 minutes to look around, but it didn’t take long to get the idea what a bank of fog looked like.  Soon Lupe was on her way again.

Fog starts sweeping across the highway in places as Lupe approaches Beartooth Pass.
Fog starts sweeping across the highway in places as Lupe approaches Beartooth Pass.
Above the clouds at Beartooth Pass.
Above the clouds at Beartooth Pass.
The mountains had trapped a big bank of clouds N of Beartooth Pass. Photo looks NW.
The mountains had trapped a big bank of clouds N of the pass. Photo looks NW.

The border with Montana was just a few miles from Beartooth Pass, where the highway was still at a great height in the mountains.  Amazingly, there was a speed limit 70 mph sign up there!

Lanis especially found this highly amusing.  It was obviously some kind of Darwinian Introduction to Montana/Wyoming Intelligence Test (DIMWIT) to see if tourists were smart enough to survive in Montana.  For what lay ahead was not a nice straight, smooth highway, but miles of 20 mph, 15 mph, and even 10 mph hairpin curves snaking tortuously along the brink of tremendous precipices.

Partway down the giant descent, there was a little parking lot at a viewpoint.  Lupe, Lanis and SPHP stopped to check it out.

The first thing Lupe discovered at the viewpoint, was that squirrels were using little holes built into the bottom of the rock retaining walls to come onto the walkways and beg for food from tourists. Lupe was keenly interested in the frequent sudden appearance, and subsequent disappearance of all these squirrels! She peered over the walls to see where all these squirrels were disappearing to.
The first thing Lupe discovered at the viewpoint, was that squirrels were using little holes built into the bottom of the rock retaining walls to come onto the walkways and beg for food from tourists. Lupe was keenly interested in the frequent sudden appearance, and subsequent disappearance of all these squirrels! She peered over the walls to see where all these squirrels were disappearing to.
Lanis at the viewpoint N of Beartooth Pass in Montana. Clearly not having as much fun as Lupe! Perhaps suffering from coffee deprivation?
Lanis at the viewpoint N of Beartooth Pass in Montana. Clearly not having as much fun as Lupe! Perhaps suffering from coffee deprivation?

Montana along the Beartooth Hwy, 8-15-12View along Beartooth Hwy, MT 8-15-12View along Beartooth Hwy, MT 8-15-12

Lupe thought this viewpoint along the Beartooth Hwy, was great fun! She wanted to stay and play Catch-A-Squirrel (the American Dingo version of Whack-A-Mole) all day!
Lupe thought this viewpoint along the Beartooth Hwy, was great fun! She wanted to stay and play Catch-A-Squirrel (the American Dingo version of Whack-A-Mole) all day!

With all the clouds trapped on the N side of the Beartooth Mountains, it wasn’t surprising that it was raining by the time Lupe reached Red Lodge, Montana.  Lupe spent the afternoon snoozing comfortably in the Element while Lanis drove on to Bozeman.

In Bozeman, for the 1st time on her big 2012 Dingo Vacation, Lupe got to stay in the lap of luxury at a motel near I-90.  She was very curious about it all, but was on her very best behavior.  Dingoes are very adaptable to a wide range of conditions.  Rest assured, Lupe took a dose of soft living completely in stride!

Lupe leaves the driving to Lanis on the way to Bozeman, MT.
Lupe leaves the driving to Lanis on the way to Bozeman, MT.

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