{"id":3134,"date":"2016-07-21T08:10:39","date_gmt":"2016-07-21T14:10:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=3134"},"modified":"2019-03-16T10:02:08","modified_gmt":"2019-03-16T16:02:08","slug":"beauty-becker-lakes-beartooth-mountains-wyoming-8-11-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=3134","title":{"rendered":"Beauty & Becker Lakes, Beartooth Mountains, Wyoming (8-11-12)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Day 4 of Lupe’s 2012 Dingo Vacation to the West Coast<\/em><\/p>\n

The clouds were gone and the rain had stopped when Lupe woke SPHP up in the Honda Element.\u00a0 Despite having slept sitting up, SPHP felt pretty good.\u00a0 Lupe, of course, felt great.\u00a0 She’d slept very comfortably on a pile of pillows and blankets in the back of the Element.\u00a0 Lanis was still asleep\u00a0in\u00a0the driver’s seat getting his beauty rest.<\/p>\n

Lupe and SPHP got out to greet the day, and take a look at the fabulous view of Pilot<\/span><\/strong><\/a> (11,699 ft.)<\/strong><\/span> and Index<\/span><\/strong><\/a> (11,240 ft.) <\/strong><\/span>Peaks<\/strong><\/span> from the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River.\u00a0 Despite the cloudless sky, there was a haze in the air that kept the view from being as crisp as it might have been.\u00a0 Only days later did SPHP realize that the persistent haze was due to huge wildfires burning in Idaho.<\/p>\n

\"Pilot<\/a>
Pilot (L) and Index (R) Peaks from the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Pilot<\/a>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.\u00a0 Lupe was happy barking at squirrels in the forest along the edges of the valley.<\/p>\n

Returning to the Element, Lupe and SPHP woke Lanis up.\u00a0 Time to get a move on!\u00a0 New adventures and explorations awaited!\u00a0 Lanis drove E on the Beartooth Highway.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

\"Lanis<\/a>
Lanis at the overlook. Yes, that’s Pilot and Index Peaks again in the distance on the R.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Looking<\/a>
Looking S across the huge canyon that the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone flows through.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It turned out that\u00a0in the few minutes\u00a0Lanis and SPHP were admiring the view, Lupe had found\u00a0another way\u00a0to entertain herself.\u00a0 She was very industriously, though unsuccessfully\u00a0thus far, trying to dig marmots out of their holes in the ground.\u00a0 It was hard work, but Lupe was pursuing it with great vigor and enthusiasm.\u00a0 SPHP had to hustle her into the Element before there was trouble.<\/p>\n

Lanis drove on\u00a0to the Top of the World Store<\/a><\/span><\/strong>.\u00a0 The Element was in need of fuel.<\/p>\n

\"Looking<\/a>
Looking WNW at Beartooth Butte<\/a><\/span><\/strong> (10,514 ft.)<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0from Hwy 212 at the Top of the World Store.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The Top of the World Store along Beartooth Hwy No. 212.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe waits while the Element gets fueled up.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Lanis<\/a>
Lanis props up the Top of the World Store sign.\u00a0 Or is it the other way around?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A little over a mile E of the Top of the World Store was a turn to the N to the Island Lake campground.\u00a0 Breakfast was enjoyed at a picnic ground overlooking Island Lake.\u00a0 At\u00a0over 9,500 feet elevation, Island Lake was already in alpine territory.\u00a0 It was going to be a great starting point for\u00a0Lupe’s first\u00a0exploratory trek into the Beartooth Mountains.<\/p>\n

\"Island<\/a>
Island Lake in the Beartooth Mountains. Photo looks NNW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Cheerios<\/a>
Cheerios and blueberries!\u00a0 Alpo for Lupe.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After breakfast, Lupe, Lanis, and SPHP took the Beartooth High Lakes trail heading N along the W side of Island Lake.\u00a0 There were gorgeous wildflowers everywhere.\u00a0 The trail was in good shape and easy to follow.\u00a0 There wasn’t much elevation gain or loss.\u00a0 Around each bend was another delightful scene of alpine splendor.\u00a0 The trail\u00a0went\u00a0past Island Lake, Night Sky Lake, and then\u00a0a series of smaller lakes.<\/p>\n

\"Looking<\/a>
Looking N along the Beartooth High Lakes trail.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Wildflowers<\/a>\"Wildflower<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Lonesome<\/a>
Lonesome Mountain looms in the distance beyond a pond in the Beartooth Mountains. Photo looks NNW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Wildflowers<\/a>After a while, the trail turned S and went down a hill to Beauty Lake.\u00a0 The intention hadn’t been to come here.\u00a0 Somewhere\u00a0just upstream, SPHP had lost the Beartooth High Lakes trail and\u00a0wound up on\u00a0the Beauty Lake trail.\u00a0 It really didn’t matter.\u00a0 Lupe was on a first time exploration of the area.\u00a0 Everything was new and exciting no matter which way she went.<\/p>\n

Beauty Lake was large, and looked deep compared to most of the other lakes Lupe had been by so far.\u00a0 It was in a very pretty setting.\u00a0 Lupe, Lanis and SPHP climbed up on a rocky knob along the NE side of the lake that provided a nice viewpoint.\u00a0 By\u00a0now, it\u00a0was time for a lunch break.\u00a0 Lupe played among the rocks and trees.<\/p>\n

Soon it felt so warm out, SPHP considered taking a dip in the lake.\u00a0 The water felt pretty cold, though.\u00a0 Only Lupe was actually brave enough to enter the water.\u00a0 Even she just waded around close to the shore.<\/p>\n

\"Looking<\/a>
Looking W across Beauty Lake.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Looking<\/a>
Looking S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Don't<\/a>
Don’t tell me you’re going to chicken out on me again, SPHP! The water is fine, really! You’ll be numb soon enough!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe wades around in the cold waters of Beauty Lake.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 SPHP didn’t want to go that way.<\/p>\n

The map also showed that the Beartooth High Lakes trail continued NW across a stream near the N end of Beauty Lake.\u00a0 Lupe, Lanis and SPHP went a short distance back N to where a very lovely stream flowed down to Beauty Lake.\u00a0 Searching for the Beartooth High Lakes trail on the other side of the stream revealed nothing.\u00a0 There were lots of beautiful wildflowers, but no continuation of the trail was in sight.<\/p>\n

Not ready to give up, Lupe, Lanis and SPHP followed the stream for a little way up a small canyon.\u00a0 There were more rocks and wildflowers, but again, no trail was found.\u00a0 The going got progressively more difficult.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The stream N of Beauty Lake. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Lanis<\/a>
Lanis looking for the rest of the Beartooth High Lakes trail. Not really finding it. Lots of flowers blooming by the stream, though!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Wildflowers<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe supposedly looking for the trail. SPHP suspects she was really looking for squirrels.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Lupe<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe thought Lanis was just hilarious trying to catch that water bottle!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hmm, maybe the tourist map wasn’t terribly accurate?\u00a0 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.\u00a0 As it turned out, there was a trail junction up there!<\/p>\n

Lupe, Lanis and SPHP headed N on this new trail.\u00a0 None of them realized this wasn’t the Beartooth High Lakes trail either.\u00a0 Again it didn’t matter.\u00a0 The new\u00a0trail was in good shape, and went into even more beautiful country!<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The new trail soon headed N between Mutt & Jeff Lakes, which are very close together and connected by a stream that flows down to Mutt Lake (not pictured to the L of this photo). Jeff Lake is seen beyond Lanis. The trail continued across the rocks seen on the far side of Jeff Lake, and on up a hill through the gap to a little pass. In the pass there was a mucky pond and rocks to scramble around. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The mucky little pond in the pass N of Jeff Lake. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The new trail went N, passing by a couple of ponds.\u00a0 Then it went down a short hill to\u00a0go between\u00a0two lakes (Mutt & Jeff)\u00a0that were very close together.\u00a0 A broad stream flowed gently between the lakes, and required some rock hopping to get across.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

In the gap was a mucky pond and some boulders to work around.\u00a0 The trail then went gradually downhill.\u00a0 Before too long, there was a view of the S end of a gorgeous lake.\u00a0 Unknown to Lupe, Lanis and SPHP at the time, this was Becker Lake.<\/p>\n

Becker Lake is a fairly large,\u00a0long lake extending N\/S.\u00a0 The S end is the largest, and tucked in against big rock walls and hills.\u00a0 The N end is narrower, and more out in the open.\u00a0 The trail did not go down to Becker Lake, but stayed well above it to the E.\u00a0 For a while, the trail went completely out of sight of the lake, but\u00a0the lake\u00a0eventually came into view again farther N.<\/p>\n

\"Part<\/a>
Part of the S end of Becker Lake comes into view. Lonesome Mountain is seen in the distance on the R.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe explores the forest near the trail.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Lupe<\/a><\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>
This big tree scarred by lightning was near the trail.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Lanis'<\/a>
Lanis’ moss and lichens photo of the day!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"While<\/a>
While out of sight of Becker Lake, the trail passed by the W shore of this little pond. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Looking<\/a>
Looking SW across Becker Lake.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Part<\/a>
Part of the high ridge to the E of Becker Lake.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe nears the N end of Becker Lake. Photo looks NNW toward Lonesome Mountain<\/a> (11,399 ft.) <\/span><\/span><\/strong>(R of center).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Wildflowers<\/a>Lupe, Lanis and SPHP followed the trail N past Becker Lake.\u00a0 The trail was now passing along the E side of a creek coming down through a broad grassy valley.\u00a0 A woman coming down the trail said this part of the trail was in Montana!<\/p>\n

Lupe, Lanis and SPHP continued on a little way, but it was close to 5:00 PM now.\u00a0 It was soon time to turn around and head back to the Honda Element at\u00a0Island Lake, before it got too late.\u00a0 Lupe’s route back included everything except the side trip to Beauty Lake again.\u00a0 She had a wonderful time sniffing and exploring the entire way back.<\/p>\n

Going to Beauty and Becker Lakes\u00a0was one of the most glorious days Lupe had ever spent in the mountains anywhere.\u00a0\u00a0This day was a real highlight of her 2012 Dingo Vacation!\"Flowers<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Don't<\/a>
Don’t forget to sniff the air!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Wildflowers<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Going<\/a>
Going back down from the little pass toward Jeff Lake near the end of the day.\u00a0 Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Looking<\/a>
Looking NNW back across Island Lake toward the high country where Lupe had such a great time in the Beartooths.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Links:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Next Adventure<\/span><\/a> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Prior Adventure<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Lupe and SPHP\u00a0returned on subsequent Dingo Vacations in 2013 & 2014 to explore farther into Montana N of Becker Lake.\u00a0 Click on the red links below to view Lupe’s other posts about this stunning part of the Beartooth Mountains:<\/em><\/p>\n

The Journey to Two Bits Lake, Beartooth Mountains (7-12-13)<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sky Pilot Lake, Beartooth Mountains of Montana (7-17-13)<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Lonesome Mountain in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana (8-3-14)<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Want more Lupe adventures?\u00a0\u00a0Choose\u00a0from\u00a0Lupe’s 2012 West Coast\u00a0Adventure Index<\/strong><\/span><\/a>,\u00a0Dingo Vacations Adventure Index<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span> or Master Adventure Index<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0Or subscribe free\u00a0to\u00a0new Lupe adventures<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/span>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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.\u00a0 Despite having slept sitting up, SPHP felt pretty good.\u00a0 Lupe, of course, felt great.\u00a0 She’d slept very comfortably on a pile of pillows and blankets in … Continue reading Beauty & Becker Lakes, Beartooth Mountains, Wyoming (8-11-12)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3102,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[429],"tags":[105,463,182,462,195,106,26,193,104,194,275],"class_list":["post-3134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2012-west-coast","tag-american-dingo","tag-beartooth-high-lakes-trail","tag-beartooth-mountains","tag-beauty-lake","tag-becker-lake","tag-carolina-dog","tag-dingo-vacations","tag-island-lake","tag-lupe","tag-mutt-jeff-lakes","tag-wyoming"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/P1030631.jpg?fit=1651%2C1238&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3134"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20762,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3134\/revisions\/20762"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}