Montana Vacation, 2001

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Part 1:   Yellowstone National Park

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Our trip started with a flight to Billings, MT, where we rented a car, picked up groceries and headed for the mountains. An hours drive brought us to Red Lodge, MT and the start of the Beartooth Highway. This beautiful stretch of road, from Red Lodge to Cooke City, climbs to an elevation of over 10,000 feet as it crosses the Beartooth Mountains. Charles Kuralt once dubbed it "the most scenic road in America". We arrived at Cooke City, a small town with lots of personality, in the early evening and checked into our reserved room at the Alpine Motel.
Beartooth
Along the Beartooth Highway		 Cooke City
Cooke City, MT
Over the next 3 days, we toured Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National park and visited many of the major scenic attractions. Along the way, we saw lots of wildlife, including bison, black bear, mule deer, elk and pronghorn.
Bison
We saw lots of bison.		 Bison
Some up close.
While there, we climbed Mt. Washburn for a panoramic view of the park. Mt. Washburn rises to over 10,000 ft., although the actual climb from the trailhead was only 1400 ft. of elevation gain over 3.2 miles.
trailhead
Mt. Washburn trailhead.		 Trail
Along the trail.		 View
Perusing our route.		 Summit
At the summit.
After our Mt. Washburn climb, we visited the super-scenic Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the picturesque falls on the Yellowstone River. We viewed the famous lower falls from several different viewpoints and stood at the brink of the lower falls. When looking downstream, it was obvious as to how the Yellowstone River got its name.
Lower Falls
The Lower Falls as viewed from Artists Point.		 Lower Falls
The Lower Falls as viewed from Inspiration Point.		 Brink
Brink of the Lower Falls.		 Canyon
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Yellowstone is a scenic wonderland featuring lots of seismic oddities, including geysers, hot springs, sulphur pits and boiling mud. Our trip would not have been complete without seeing Old Faithful erupt. We were nearly as impressed with the wooden framework inside the Old Faithful Inn.
Old Faithful
Old Faithful.		 Framework
Old Faithful Inn.


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