Day 4 of Lupe’s 2012 Dingo Vacation to the West Coast
The clouds were gone and the rain had stopped when Lupe woke SPHP up in the Honda Element. Despite having slept sitting up, SPHP felt pretty good. Lupe, of course, felt great. She’d slept very comfortably on a pile of pillows and blankets in the back of the Element. Lanis was still asleep in the driver’s seat getting his beauty rest.
Lupe and SPHP got out to greet the day, and take a look at the fabulous view of Pilot (11,699 ft.) and Index (11,240 ft.) Peaks from the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River. Despite the cloudless sky, there was a haze in the air that kept the view from being as crisp as it might have been. Only days later did SPHP realize that the persistent haze was due to huge wildfires burning in Idaho.
While Lanis continued getting 40 winks, Lupe and SPHP went across to the S side of the Beartooth Hwy and took a stroll up a very grassy little valley. Lupe was happy barking at squirrels in the forest along the edges of the valley.
Returning to the Element, Lupe and SPHP woke Lanis up. Time to get a move on! New adventures and explorations awaited! Lanis drove E on the Beartooth Highway. E of the junction with the St. Joseph Scenic Byway, the Beartooth Hwy wound up to an overlook with a view toward the huge canyon to the S.
It turned out that in the few minutes Lanis and SPHP were admiring the view, Lupe had found another way to entertain herself. She was very industriously, though unsuccessfully thus far, trying to dig marmots out of their holes in the ground. It was hard work, but Lupe was pursuing it with great vigor and enthusiasm. SPHP had to hustle her into the Element before there was trouble.
Lanis drove on to the Top of the World Store. The Element was in need of fuel.
A little over a mile E of the Top of the World Store was a turn to the N to the Island Lake campground. Breakfast was enjoyed at a picnic ground overlooking Island Lake. At over 9,500 feet elevation, Island Lake was already in alpine territory. It was going to be a great starting point for Lupe’s first exploratory trek into the Beartooth Mountains.
After breakfast, Lupe, Lanis, and SPHP took the Beartooth High Lakes trail heading N along the W side of Island Lake. There were gorgeous wildflowers everywhere. The trail was in good shape and easy to follow. There wasn’t much elevation gain or loss. Around each bend was another delightful scene of alpine splendor. The trail went past Island Lake, Night Sky Lake, and then a series of smaller lakes.
After a while, the trail turned S and went down a hill to Beauty Lake. The intention hadn’t been to come here. Somewhere just upstream, SPHP had lost the Beartooth High Lakes trail and wound up on the Beauty Lake trail. It really didn’t matter. Lupe was on a first time exploration of the area. Everything was new and exciting no matter which way she went.
Beauty Lake was large, and looked deep compared to most of the other lakes Lupe had been by so far. It was in a very pretty setting. Lupe, Lanis and SPHP climbed up on a rocky knob along the NE side of the lake that provided a nice viewpoint. By now, it was time for a lunch break. Lupe played among the rocks and trees.
Soon it felt so warm out, SPHP considered taking a dip in the lake. The water felt pretty cold, though. Only Lupe was actually brave enough to enter the water. Even she just waded around close to the shore.
The only map of the area that Lanis and SPHP had was a very simple tourist map called “Wayfinding on the Beartooth All-American Road” that Lanis had picked up at a visitor center in Cooke City. It showed that the Beauty Lake trail would take Lupe back to the Beartooth Highway close to Beartooth Lake, which was miles from the Honda Element. SPHP didn’t want to go that way.
The map also showed that the Beartooth High Lakes trail continued NW across a stream near the N end of Beauty Lake. Lupe, Lanis and SPHP went a short distance back N to where a very lovely stream flowed down to Beauty Lake. Searching for the Beartooth High Lakes trail on the other side of the stream revealed nothing. There were lots of beautiful wildflowers, but no continuation of the trail was in sight.
Not ready to give up, Lupe, Lanis and SPHP followed the stream for a little way up a small canyon. There were more rocks and wildflowers, but again, no trail was found. The going got progressively more difficult. Lanis had an exciting time chasing a water bottle he dropped in the creek back a considerable distance downstream before he was able to retrieve it.
Hmm, maybe the tourist map wasn’t terribly accurate? Lupe, Lanis and SPHP left the stream, and followed the Beauty Lake trail farther back up the hill looking for a junction with the Beartooth High Lakes trail. As it turned out, there was a trail junction up there!
Lupe, Lanis and SPHP headed N on this new trail. None of them realized this wasn’t the Beartooth High Lakes trail either. Again it didn’t matter. The new trail was in good shape, and went into even more beautiful country!
The new trail went N, passing by a couple of ponds. Then it went down a short hill to go between two lakes (Mutt & Jeff) that were very close together. A broad stream flowed gently between the lakes, and required some rock hopping to get across. Beyond the stream, the trail went across a boulder field on the NW side of Jeff Lake, before continuing up a hillside to a relatively low gap between mountains.
In the gap was a mucky pond and some boulders to work around. The trail then went gradually downhill. Before too long, there was a view of the S end of a gorgeous lake. Unknown to Lupe, Lanis and SPHP at the time, this was Becker Lake.
Becker Lake is a fairly large, long lake extending N/S. The S end is the largest, and tucked in against big rock walls and hills. The N end is narrower, and more out in the open. The trail did not go down to Becker Lake, but stayed well above it to the E. For a while, the trail went completely out of sight of the lake, but the lake eventually came into view again farther N.
Lupe, Lanis and SPHP followed the trail N past Becker Lake. The trail was now passing along the E side of a creek coming down through a broad grassy valley. A woman coming down the trail said this part of the trail was in Montana!
Lupe, Lanis and SPHP continued on a little way, but it was close to 5:00 PM now. It was soon time to turn around and head back to the Honda Element at Island Lake, before it got too late. Lupe’s route back included everything except the side trip to Beauty Lake again. She had a wonderful time sniffing and exploring the entire way back.
Going to Beauty and Becker Lakes was one of the most glorious days Lupe had ever spent in the mountains anywhere. This day was a real highlight of her 2012 Dingo Vacation!
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Lupe and SPHP returned on subsequent Dingo Vacations in 2013 & 2014 to explore farther into Montana N of Becker Lake. Click on the red links below to view Lupe’s other posts about this stunning part of the Beartooth Mountains:
The Journey to Two Bits Lake, Beartooth Mountains (7-12-13)
Sky Pilot Lake, Beartooth Mountains of Montana (7-17-13)
Lonesome Mountain in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana (8-3-14)
Want more Lupe adventures? Choose from Lupe’s 2012 West Coast Adventure Index, Dingo Vacations Adventure Index or Master Adventure Index. Or subscribe free to new Lupe adventures.